Daughter
by adri0611
Summary: The first steps down a familiar path. Lionel Luthor sends his brilliant but repressed progeny to the quaint town of Smallville.
1. Daughter

Author's notes: I would like to thank MitchPell for listening to me through AIM over the last few months and encouraging me to post this. I really didn't think I would. I've had a hard time writing it. But it's been fun too.  
  
Feedback: Ack! I just hope someone likes this story and reviews it. I'll even take negative comments as long as they are constructive.  
  
How soon is now?: I will be posting chapters as soon as I can and hopefully it won't turn out like a Lex in drag story. : p  
  
For future chapters: Oh, um. I sometimes feel the need to torture my characters. Especially the ones I've completely made up, yeah. I have a problem. Ignore it and maybe it will go away.  
  
***  
  
A nine-year-old Elizabeth Luthor watched the clouds roll in across the sky above a brightly colored banner that read, "Welcome Home Crows!" Her father was occupied with a group of local men discussing business. She was told not to get in the way. So, walking out onto the street would be out of the way, she told herself.  
  
The helicopter ride from Metropolis to Smallville was so much fun and over much too soon, in her opinion. Watching a bird soar in the sky, she imagined what it would be like if she could fly just like that bird.  
  
With every step she took, she realized Smallville wasn't like Metropolis at all. She had never been anywhere like this and was interested in everything.  
  
Lionel Luthor saw his daughter run off out of his sight and called out to her. "Liz?" He knew it was a bad idea bringing her with him but there was no one to look after her back in Metropolis. Her mother was sick and they were between nannies. Nell had offered to look after her but he had declined, thinking his stay would be short.  
  
His daughter was making it impossible to keep a nanny around for any longer than a few weeks. When he had tried to discipline her about it, Lillian told him to just let her be. His wife had said that Liz was just afraid of a nanny taking her mommy's place.  
  
He knew that there was some truth to that but hated to think of bringing her along every time he had to go out of town. If he had a son it would be more beneficial to the company and he would encourage the idea of bringing his heir to come with him learning the tricks of the trade.  
  
His wife was getting weaker and he needed help. The next nanny he hired was going to be the last one. Whether or not Liz liked her.  
  
Ignoring her father's voice, Liz, kept right on walking. She nearly bumped into a parked car on the side of the road, but the owner of the vehicle stopped her from hurting herself. He watched the little redheaded girl with amusement and recognized her immediately. "I think your father is calling for you, Elizabeth."  
  
Liz looked up at the man who had just spoken and smiled. "I know, Mr. Lang, but I want to see this bird." She pointed at the black crow swirling in the sky. "I wish I could fly like that."  
  
Lewis laughed and then his wife spoke. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"  
  
Keeping her eyes on the bird in the sky, Liz spoke softly. "Yes."  
  
Laura walked over to the nine year old girl and took her hand. "Liz, I think your father is getting worried, why don't you go on back over to him. Want me to walk you?"  
  
Liz shook her head a little stubbornly and pulled her hand out of the woman's hold. "No, I can walk back by myself!" Liz didn't like to be told what to do. She also didn't like the idea of any woman holding her hand but her mother.  
  
The woman smiled politely and watched as Liz started to walk away just when a bright light and smoke started to fill the sky above. The sound was deafening. Meter rocks began falling at amazing speeds. Liz ducked down low onto the street when a huge rock plowed into the car of the Langs, only a few feet away from where she had been standing.  
  
Liz watched in horror as the car exploded immediately and a cloud of dust moved over her. She couldn't stop coughing and her eyes started to water. It felt like she was on the ground for an eternity before she felt strong hands touching her arm and then lifting her up.  
  
***  
  
Lionel stared in disbelief as the meteors came crashing down on top of everything. Fire and smoke billowed in the sky as cars and houses went up into flames upon impact of the huge rocks. He ran inside of a building for safety then remembered his daughter was still out there.  
  
***  
  
Martha and Jonathon saw the little red-haired girl fall to the ground the instant the car exploded and Jonathon ran out to make sure she was all right. He knew the Lang's were lost but he had to see if the little girl was still alive. Nell was inside the flower shop consoling the Lang's only daughter, Lana, and Martha decided to stay with them.  
  
Jonathon spotted the child immediately. She was curled into a tight little ball shaking violently. Reaching down to touch her arm, he asked gently. "Are you all right?"  
  
When she wouldn't respond, Jonathon lifted her up into his arms and patted her back trying to soothe her. She looked up into his face and began crying. He laid her head onto his shoulder and began petting her hair. With every stroke a few of the beautiful, red strands stuck to Jonathon's hand. It was coming out in large handfuls soon and Jonathon wondered if she was in a worse state of shock than he had originally thought.  
  
***  
  
Lionel came running out of the building and spotted a local with his daughter. "Lizzie? What has happened?"  
  
Jonathon recognized the man immediately and then realized whom he must be holding. "She is under a great deal of stress right now, Mr. Luthor. She just witnessed the deaths of two people and came really close to being killed herself."  
  
Lionel frowned when he saw Liz's head. Her hair had come out almost completely by now, just from the now gentle breeze of the wind. He reached for her and Jonathon handed her over to him. Lionel whispered something into her ear and she immediately stopped crying, then he set her on her feet. She was still a little shaky but managed to remain standing.  
  
"I appreciate you looking after my daughter. I must be going now, but I will remember this." With that being said, Lionel grabbed his daughter's hand and took off. Liz kept looking back at Jonathon as she was being lead away.  
  
***  
  
Martha watched her husband's face as he drove their red truck back to the farm. He was being extremely quiet and she wanted to make him feel better about the situation. "Don't worry about her, Jonathon. She is going to be fine. I'm sure of it."  
  
Jonathon cleared his throat and looked over at his wife briefly. Smiling at her, he thought to himself that she would make a great mother. Memories of failed attempts at having children of their own clouded his mind when he thought of the little red-haired girl. Lionel Luthor just didn't seem to care about his daughter. She needed to be loved and cared for at a time like this, but he seemed to do nothing but reprimand her for crying and wanting to be held. His first impression of the wealthy man had been that he was cold and professional. He could understand him being that way towards him but not to his own daughter.  
  
His wife's voice made him come out of his thoughts and back to reality. Stopping the car with a screech he saw a little black-haired boy standing in the middle of the road.  
  
"Jonathon, where in the world.?" Martha got out of the car immediately and brought a blanket with her. She went over to the dirt smudged boy and wrapped him up tightly with the white cotton sheet. "What is your name? Are you hurt? Do you know where your parents are?"  
  
The little boy just looked into Martha's face adoringly and cocked his head to the side as if trying to understand what she was saying. Jonathon smiled at the child and looked at Martha. "I don't think he can speak. I wonder where his parents are. They can't be far away."  
  
Jonathon Kent went in search of a car or something to lead him to the child's parents and came across a silver aircraft of some sort. He didn't know what it was but it scared him to think that this small boy was once in it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was indeed a ship that could carry only one small person. That one small person happened to be running over to him extremely fast with Martha trying to catch up from behind. The black-haired boy placed his hand on the lid of the roof and closed it shut. A bright light shined through the lines where the lid and bottom met and started to slowly disappear only a few seconds after collapsing.  
  
It became a solid object that looked strangely like a silver artichoke. A huge silver artichoke that could fly a little boy through space and land on Earth with a ton of meteor rocks. Jonathon almost laughed at the way that sounded but the situation made him sober up.  
  
Martha had taken the boy into her arms and was rocking him back and forth. "What are we going to do, Jonathon?"  
  
Jonathon smiled at the sight of his wife and the little boy. "I'm not sure, but we need to get him taken care of."  
  
***  
  
Twelve years later, a grown, 21-year-old, Liz looked out one of many windows in her father's office as she waited patiently for him to arrive. Tiny, ant-sized people scurried busily about on the sidewalk below and cars the size of peanuts drove in a blur on the asphalt beside them.  
  
It was so much easier to see people like that, forty floors below her. She could handle them a lot better when she could see them but they couldn't see her. It gave her a small sense of power to be in that position.  
  
Lionel Luthor had sent his only daughter to England at the tender age of eighteen and now here she was three years later, a different woman. Would he even recognize her? She looked at the translucent reflection showing on the glass window. She didn't look that much different, aside from the hair. Soft, reddish-brown waves came down to her shoulders. The wig wasn't unattractive, and it matched what her natural hair color would be, but she hated wearing it. There were ways to have hair transplants but they looked hideous, and she didn't like the idea of someone drilling tiny holes into her head and inserting small strands of hair.  
  
At first she hated her father for sending her away but now she could appreciate it. College hadn't been too hard but the experience was exhausting to her. She could handle the school work, but the other students were almost as bad as when she was in high school. Parties every night would keep her awake and her roommate would sometimes force her to go to them. Fortunately, Liz didn't have to worry about being invited every time. Not everyone wanted her to be there. The spoiled rich snob that everyone loved to hate just because she was American ,for one, and that she had it made. She got everything she wanted. Or so they thought. No one would tell any of that to her to her face, but Liz wasn't stupid. She knew what they were all thinking and whispering behind her back.  
  
She was somewhat of a teacher's pet. The professors were closer to her than many of the students. Her grades were perfect as well as her attendance. She never missed a single class, she also never missed an attempt to get a better grade. Even if it involved extracurricular activities.  
  
Looking around the large room, Liz was reminded how much she hated her father's office. In three years nothing had changed. Dark blue, burgundy, and hunter green adorned the fabrics on furniture, curtains, and accessories. Her father must have spent a small fortune on it.  
  
She shivered at the sudden gush of wind coming from the overhead air- conditioning unit. Why her father had to keep his office so cold, was beyond her. She wrapped her black business coat a little tighter around her slim shoulders and decided to take one of the leather seats in front of the mammoth, mahogany desk.  
  
The sound of a door opening and closing then the steps coming closer to her made Liz's stomach do a flip flop. She rose to her feet and turned around slowly. She saw her father, not having changed hardly at all, dressed in a gray business suit and crisp white shirt, a black paisley tie finished the look. When he hugged her she smelled the spicy scent of his aftershave. She was glad he had never changed his choice in cologne.  
  
After the hug, Lionel smiled at his daughter then looked her up and down. "I like the hair."  
  
Liz smiled back. "Thank you. I like yours."  
  
He winked and walked over to his desk. "I'm glad you are back." He sat down and looked up. "I guess you're wondering why I asked you in here today."  
  
"Well, I just finished college. Were you going to congratulate me? Maybe, welcome me back home from England?" She teased.  
  
The older man pulled out a set of keys from his pocket then proceeded to open the top drawer of his desk. "I'm very proud of you, Lizzie." Pulling out a file folder full of papers and a new set of keys, Lionel shut the drawer and locked it back up. "In fact, you've made me realize that you're ready for this assignment."  
  
Liz judged the features on her father's face carefully. He seemed cool, calm, and collected. She didn't like the word, "assignment" and couldn't tell what her father meant. "I'm glad you're proud of me, father, but what are you talking about?"  
  
Lionel didn't answer, just smiled and handed her the file of paperwork. Liz took them still looking at him, then opened the folder. She scanned the sentences about the LuthorCorp plant but stopped after seeing the word, "Smallville."  
  
She tensed up immediately and stared at her father with questioning eyes. He stood up and looked out the window, not wanting to look at his daughter's face. "It's time you faced your fears, Lizzie."  
  
A hollow laugh escaped Liz's throat. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on her next words. "My fears? That.place.is the cause of everything."  
  
His back still turned, Lionel cleared his throat. "It will only be for a few months anyway. The plant is doing poorly and I thought it would be best to have my own flesh and blood fix the problem. You are very bright, Lizzie. I know both you and the plant will benifit from this experience."  
  
Liz got up from her seat. "I can't believe you are actually sending me to the crap factory! I could help you more here, in Metropolis."  
  
Her father turned around and walked to his daughter's side. "A Luthor doesn't hold fear for a small little cow town. You will get over this once and for all. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
Liz looked up into her father's eyes and nodded. She couldn't stop shaking, she was so angry and frightened. A glimmer of guilt gleamed in Lionel's eye for a brief moment but it was quickly replaced with a look of satisfaction. He bent down to kiss her forehead and placed the keys in her hands. Walking to the door, he spoke over his shoulder. "Prove to me you're a Luthor."  
  
The sound of the door being shut made Liz jump out of her seat. She clenched her fists to keep from grabbing one of the many expensive paperweights on her father's desk and throwing it through the glass window.  
  
Resigned, Liz sighed and spoke to nothing but the cool air in the room. "I'll make you proud, father, and I'll prove to you that I am more of a Luthor than you could ever have imagined."  
  
***  
  
To be continued. 


	2. Lana and Nell

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to "Smallville," DC comics, or any of the Superman characters. I just borrow them for my own enjoyment. Please don't sue me. My imagination is wilder than my possessions.  
  
Author's notes: I thought I'd have the second chapter up sooner but a lot of things have happened. I've actually got a lot already written but I am tweaking it all of the time. I hope to have the entire "Pilot" episode of my universe finished before too long.  
  
THANK YOU!: MitchPell, you are so nice to talk to me about this fic and help me figure out what to write when I'm having trouble. Also, thank you for always beta-reading so swiftly. I don't ask for it but you do it and I am very thankful for it. You are a lot of help. : )  
  
Feedback: Please review! I like to know what you all think of my story. Is it the best thing ever? Is it crap? Let me know! I need the help, trust me! : )  
  
MitchPell, thank you.! Yes, Lionel and Liz. I love writing Lionel. Liz and Lionel are going to have a lot of scenes together in this fic. : )  
  
HuffyTheCampfireSlayer, thank you for understanding that this is like the pilot and what I'm trying to convey. I can't wait to see how her and Clark get along too. : )  
  
Merrie, I miss my Lex too! I like my Liz though and I'm glad you do too. ; )  
  
How soon is now: Expect the third chapter in less than a week! I'm going for a record! Whoo! : p  
  
For future chapters: Well, this is based on the "Pilot" episode of "Smallville" and I am linking everyone closer together than they are in the "Smallville" we know now. There will be more chapters that are similar to the "Pilot" and then I will go into episodes, but they will be changed a lot and in a different order. So, it's not going to be like you are reliving the first season of "Smallville." Trust me, it will be entertaining. LOL!  
  
***  
  
The sky was beginning to turn dark as Lana walked towards the cemetery. It was late and she thought no one would be out here at this time of night. The privacy would be nice, she thought. Lana was glad she had worn her heavy jacket because the night air seemed to be getting colder. It was her favorite, a fringed ochre-colored suede that buttoned at the front and at the cuffs. She pulled the wooden buttons though each hole with one hand while carrying a floral bouquet in the other.  
  
Today was the anniversary of her parent's deaths and she wanted to lay some fresh flowers on their graves. Lily of the valley was her mother's favorite, and her father liked chrysanthemums. The white of the lilies with the lavender and pale yellow of the mums looked beautiful together. Nell knew which flowers Lana would want to bring and surprised her with the bouquet after school.  
  
Lana inhaled the spicy sent the bouquet was giving off, then gasped when she saw a person kneeling in front of her parent's graves.  
  
"Who's there?" Grabbing a flashlight from her back pocket, Lana searched the ground slowly and brought the bright light up to the stranger. She took in the black and gray outfit, slim figure, oval face and blue eyes then the auburn hair that reached to her shoulders. Lana recognized the individual even though it had been six years.  
  
Finally a soft voice answered the question. "Lana? It's Liz Luthor. I'm sorry if I scared you." The young woman walked up to Lana with a hand raised to shield her eyes from the light.  
  
The name and voice sent many memories back to Lana, memories that she didn't want brought back up to the surface. She was the last person Lana had expected or wanted to see that night. What was Elizabeth Luthor doing in Smallville, she wondered.  
  
"You didn't scare me." Lana said as she turned off the flashlight and brushed past her to kneel down and lay the bouquet of flowers between the two graves. She looked up at Liz and could tell she had been crying. "How long have you been in Smallville?"  
  
Liz took a few minutes to look at her watch then answered. "For about two hours." She smiled. "I just arrived and decided to come out here first thing."  
  
After reaching to pull some weeds out from around the graves, Lana just sat and looked at her parent's tombstones. She could remember feeling jealousy towards Liz at having been with her parents just before they died. Lana had almost completely forgotten about Liz, but some things you never forgot no matter how hard you tried.  
  
"Did you come just to pay your respects or for another reason?" Lana delivered the line in a cool tone. She couldn't help but wonder at the intentions of a Luthor.  
  
The features on Liz's face hardened. "I am staying in Smallville for a few months. I hope to go back to Metropolis soon." Looking up at the sky, she paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, then looked back down at Lana with a softer expression. "It was nice seeing you again. Now that I'm in town I'll be sure to give you and Nell a call." After that Liz turned to leave.  
  
Lana couldn't help but feel a little guilty at having seemed so rude. "Liz, wait. I'm sure Nell will want to see you. She'll kill me if I don't invite you to sit and talk with us."  
  
Liz turned back around and answered quickly. "No, I appreciate it but I have a lot of unpacking to do and it's getting late."  
  
Lana shook her head in understanding but was interested in finding out why she was in Smallville. "Please, it would only be a short visit."  
  
Liz smiled. "Ok, that would be nice."  
  
***  
  
The house smelled of dried flowers and mint tea when Liz stepped inside the Potter home foyer. It should have been calming but Liz's stomach tied in knots at the familiar surroundings. It had been a long time since she had set foot in this house. Maybe not long enough.  
  
After shrugging off her jacket, Lana took Liz's. "I'll put these up. Why don't you go into the living room? I'm sure Nell is in there."  
  
Liz thanked Lana and walked into the larger room. She spotted Nell sitting in a chair, reading the newspaper, and sipping from a porcelain teacup wearing a dark blue cotton shirt and beige slacks.  
  
Nell was a good friend of her father's and had been ever since Liz could remember. Liz was fifteen the last time she had visited. It seemed like she was a fifteen- year-old girl again, as she watched Nell look up at her with an odd expression on her face.  
  
"Lizzie? Is that you?" Nell set her cup of tea aside and took off her glasses. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to Liz. "It has been way too long. Has it been five years?"  
  
Liz cringed at the use of Lizzie. Only her father got away with calling her that. Instead of admitting the hatred of the childhood nickname, she smiled and replied. "Six, Nell. I hope I'm not intruding."  
  
Nell shook her head in disagreement. "Not at all." She looked her up and down. "To think you were only fifteen the last time I saw you. You haven't aged a bit. England seems to have suited you."  
  
Stifling a laugh, Liz replied. "Yes, I guess it has."  
  
"Where are my manners? Have a seat, Lizzie." They both walked into the living area and sat down. Nell took the overstuffed moss green chair she was occupying earlier and Liz took the seat nearest Nell on a mauve sofa.  
  
Lana walked into the room carrying two cups of steaming tea. After sitting next to Liz on the sofa, she handed one of the beverages to her. Nell started talking once Lana had sat down.  
  
"Well, I can't say I'm completely surprised at seeing you. Your father told me you would be coming to Smallville but I remember him saying it would be sooner than this. You did graduate early, didn't you?"  
  
The cup of tea only met halfway to Liz's mouth. "I'm sorry?" She thought she was hearing things but she wouldn't put it past her father to tell everyone but his only daughter about his plans for her life. "Would you mind repeating that?"  
  
Nell smiled and sipped at her tea slowly before answering. Liz waited patiently trying to focus on a painting being displayed just over Nell's shoulder instead of demanding to be answered immediately. "Your father has been talking about your coming to Smallville for three months. I think it's wonderful that he is letting you take care of the plant. He has always looked out for you. He loves you very much. "  
  
Mustering up a small smile Liz set her cup of tea down carefully onto the saucer laying on the wicker coffee table in front of her. "Of course. He always puts me first above work, the Luthor name, and himself." Apparently the sarcasm in her voice didn't register with Nell because she just kept on talking.  
  
"You are a very lucky young woman to have such a giving father. Many people at your age don't have as much as you have." Nell resumed drinking from her teacup.  
  
Thanks for the reminder that nothing in this world belongs to me. It all belongs to my father. Liz thought bitterly. She briefly wondered where Nell kept her pom-poms and "Go Lionel!" sweater. "Please, Nell, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't talk to my father about my personal life anymore. It's just that, personal. And I know my father might mean well talking to you about it but if you would kindly steer the subject off of me whenever I'm brought up in one of your casual get-togethers, I would be grateful."  
  
Before Nell could speak back Liz got up. "I hate to be rude but I really need to be going. The plane trip from England was very tiring and I haven't slept well since I got back home. I'm sure to have a busy day tomorrow at the plant, as well. If you would excuse me."  
  
Liz walked over to the foyer quickly and Lana followed her. "Let me get your coat, Liz."  
  
Lana came back with the wool black coat after a few moments and walked out the door with Liz. Just as Liz was about to start making her way to her vehicle, she turned and spoke to Lana. "We've both done a lot of growing up in six yeas." She said then paused for a second to study her. "I don't want to go back to the way it was. I think if you as a little sister, Lana. And I hope that we can become closer now that I'm here."  
  
Lana smiled genuinely and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I hope so too. Nell, however, is always going to be like this. She is stubborn..."  
  
Liz finished the sentence. "Like my father." Liz understood the similarities between the two and felt sorry for Lana sometimes. She was certain that Nell controlled Lana a little like Lionel controlled her. "It's ok. She's predictable. I can live with that."  
  
Lana saw the lights going off in some of the rooms in the house and whispered out to Liz, "I think that's my cue. Good night," she said then headed back inside of the house.  
  
Walking out onto the road, Liz enjoyed the quiet and coolness of the night before getting into her car and driving back to the mansion.  
  
***  
  
To be continued. 


	3. Elizabeth

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to "Smallville," DC comics, or any of the Superman characters. I just borrow them for my own enjoyment. Please don't sue me. My imagination is wilder than my possessions.  
  
Author's notes: Wow, I actually made it by my own deadline! WOO! I hope to have the entire "Pilot" episode of my universe finished before too long. Hope, hope, hope, hope!  
  
THANK YOU!: MitchPell, you are a LIFESAVER! And I'm not talking about the hard candy although you are awfully sweet to beta so swiftly. : )  
  
Feedback: Please review! I like to know what you all think of my story. Is it the best thing ever? Is it crap? Let me know! I need the help, trust me! : )  
  
MitchPell, thank you! Lana and Liz are interesting. I think they will remain close throughout this fic. : )  
  
HuffyTheCampfireSlayer, thank you for IMing me and letting me know what you thought. : )  
  
AHobbitLassRosie, Thanks for taking the time to read my fic! I hope you continue to read it! : )  
  
How soon is now: The fourth chapter is going to take me longer. I hope no longer than two weeks, though, "Smallville" is new now and I will be watching it religiously. *squeals*  
  
For future chapters: I promise that Clark will be in the next chapter. That's all I'm going to say. Oh! It will be entitled, "Impact." Wonder what that will be about......... : p  
  
***  
  
Liz looked up at the tall, gray building of LuthorCorp and couldn't help feeling a little intimidated. It was quite an eyesore just sitting there in the midst of several cornfields, but that was her father's way. It would stand out for miles and mark Smallville as his.  
  
She parked in one of five, "Reserved for Luthor" spots and stood up from her motorcycle while taking off her helmet. The ridiculousness of her father having five parking spaces made her laugh.  
  
A quick check in the mirror confirmed that her hair was still on top of her head in a loose bun. "Wouldn't want to scare the locals." She joked to her reflection.  
  
Smiling nervously, Liz smoothed the wrinkles from her black leather business jacket, pale-pink button-down silk shirt, and a knee-length black skirt then walked towards the front entrance.  
  
***  
  
Once inside, a gentleman with dark-blond-hair, who couldn't have been much younger than her father, greeted Liz. He extended his hand and smiled warmly. "Hello Miss Luthor. Welcome to LuthorCorp. My name is Gabriel Sullivan, but you can call me Gabe."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sullivan." Shaking the hand briefly, she ignored the offer. Being on a first name basis was too personal for Liz, especially at work. "I know my father wanted you to give me the grand tour, but right now I would just like to see my office."  
  
Gabe nodded in understanding and started leading her into the factory. He stopped once they got to her office. "If you need anything or have any questions, I'm right down the hall."  
  
Liz nodded. "That won't be necessary. But thank you." She replied then watched him leave. After the door was closed, she continued to stare at it, unable to look away. What was she doing here? Was this her future? Her father said she wouldn't be here for long but she wasn't stupid.  
  
She glanced at her desk, and noticed a stack of folders waiting for her. Lionel had left her with a lot of paperwork showing her just how badly the plant was doing. She couldn't see how she would be able to get it all done in six months. Just the thought of having to clean up the mess set before her made her feel exhausted. Meeting with the employees, some of whom she may have to let go wasn't going to help matters.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Liz walked over to her desk, laying her small, black leather purse on its shiny surface. The desk was much like her father's except smaller, of course. His assistant had taken the liberty of decorating the room according to Liz's tastes. Ivory, emerald, and rust were the colors used and she had to admit the woman did a good job. A few accessories from back home were added to make the office more complete.  
  
A picture of her mother when she was about Liz's age and her father, who was a few years older, sat in one corner of the desk. Liz picked it up and stared at it for a moment. She loved her mother and there wasn't a day that went by where she didn't think about her. As her fingers gently caressed the image, she wondered briefly how different her life would be if her mother was still here. "Would she be proud of me?" She questioned aloud.  
  
She set down the brass frame and berated herself for dreaming of the "what if's." Right now she needed to focus on making her father proud.  
  
Sighing, she took off her jacket and placed it on the chair. She started in by organizing the different tasks into their own groups then opened up her laptop and typed with practiced ease, getting completely lost in the numbers and figures set before her.  
  
***  
  
A shrill ringing made Liz jump out of her skin. She had been absorbed in her work and the sound was unexpected. She picked up the phone after the third ring and answered it. "Elizabeth Luthor."  
  
The voice on the other side of the phone spoke with a hint of humor. "Oh! I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number. I was looking for Liz."  
  
Elizabeth recognized the voice immediately. "Aaron?"  
  
"The one and only, beau of Liz Luthor, 'Sexiest Man of 2001,' greatest lover in the world. Oh, I could go on but you sound like a very busy woman."  
  
"I'm sure you could," Liz said coyly. "And um, what would Liz say if I told you that you have the sexiest accent I've ever heard and just listening to it makes me want to come through this phone line and show you just what it is doing to me?"  
  
"She would understand. No one can resist me."  
  
Liz laughed and couldn't stop the joy she felt from hearing his voice again. "I'm so sorry I haven't called."  
  
"It's ok, Liz, I know why you didn't call. I just needed to get in touch with you."  
  
Aaron sounded a little hurt to Liz's ears. Their relationship had been on again off again throughout the two years they'd known each other. This past year they became closer than they had ever been and when she left it was hard on them both.  
  
"How did you get my telephone number?"  
  
"A man can find anything, when he's desperate enough."  
  
"Really? And why are you so desperate to talk to me?" Liz tried to sound nonchalant.  
  
"Why, 'Smallville,' Liz?"  
  
Liz sighed. He wasn't going to answer her question. "My father..."  
  
He cut her off. "Your father needs to understand that he can't control your life. And you need to stand up to him."  
  
"Aaron, please."  
  
"Are you still having nightmares?"  
  
Liz paused for a few moments. She hadn't been able to block the dreams with her sleeping pills and being at the one place that caused them didn't help. "Yes. But that doesn't mean I can't handle living here." She lied.  
  
"Just say the word and I'll fly over there and bring you back here."  
  
"I need to face my fears. I can't go back and hide again."  
  
"Is that what Lionel said?"  
  
Liz paused and the silence answered what words did not.  
  
Aaron sighed over the receiver. "I'm still waiting for an answer."  
  
"Aaron, you sprung that on me after graduation."  
  
"I love you." There was a pause then he continued. "I need you here with me."  
  
"I really wanted to say yes. I still do."  
  
"It's just one word, Liz."  
  
"But one that could alter my entire future."  
  
"Our future."  
  
Liz closed her eyes and smiled sadly. "It would be so easy to marry you, live the perfect life in England, and just be happy being your wife. But I can't hide from my father forever."  
  
"No, neither can I." He said the words in a menacing tone.  
  
"That sounded rather cryptic."  
  
"I called the bastard and told him the reason I needed to get in touch with you and he let me have the number." He paused for a moment then continued. "Along with my agreement to break up with you."  
  
Liz shook with emotion over those words. "He doesn't have control over my personal life, Aaron. And he never will."  
  
"But if he has control over any aspect of your life he can use that to manipulate the people around you."  
  
"What are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"Maybe we should see other people."  
  
"Don't do this Aaron."  
  
"I don't want to, but I don't think we have a choice."  
  
"Then my father has won."  
  
"No. This isn't about him. This is about us."  
  
"If he hadn't sent me here..."  
  
"You would have stayed in Metropolis. I always knew that. I never expected you would want to stay here with me."  
  
"Aaron, I never said that. Don't think that."  
  
"Stop lying to me!" He replied angrily then took a deep breath. "I knew it was a long shot."  
  
Liz licked her suddenly dry lips and tried to speak over the lump in her throat. "What?"  
  
"Asking you to marry me was the end for us, wasn't it?"  
  
"That isn't true."  
  
"But you never wanted this relationship to go any further. When it gets too serious you pull away."  
  
"That isn't fair." Liz said softly.  
  
"It isn't fair to me." Aaron agreed.  
  
An awkward silence fell over the two of them before Liz broke it. "I never knew you to be a quitter, Aaron. I guess you've changed." She shook her head and stared out the window of her office. "This is goodbye then?"  
  
Aaron swallowed then spoke in a deeper voice. "Yes." All of his feelings came through in the one word. "Goodbye, Liz."  
  
"Goodbye, Aaron."  
  
A click then the dial tone was heard over the phone line and Liz's heart broke.  
  
***  
  
Gabe walked out of his office and wondered if Liz had ever left hers that day. It was close to closing time and he didn't remember seeing her take a lunch break. Knocking, he waited patiently for Liz to answer.  
  
***  
  
Liz hesitated for a second and glanced at her clock. Time had slipped away from her. After the phone call she had thrown herself into her work. She rubbed at her eyes and hoped she didn't look as bad as she felt. "Come in"  
  
Gabe entered and Liz addressed him calmly. "Mr. Sullivan, did you need something."  
  
Gabe smiled slowly then answered. "I wanted to let you know your father wished for you to meet the employees before the end of the day."  
  
Liz sighed and started straightening the papers on her desk. How could she have forgotten? Her father knew just how much she hated meeting new people and this was just icing on the cake. Taking a deep breath she mustered up a smile. "That's right, I'm sorry. Give me one minute."  
  
After Gabe left Liz looked up at the ceiling, trying to will herself to just get through the day. Aaron couldn't have picked a worse time to call and break up with her.  
  
Taking a small mirror out from her purse, Liz looked at her face. Her eyes were a little puffy and her cheeks were red. She applied a small amount of makeup and decided she looked presentable enough to go out.  
  
She stood up, put on her jacket, and walked out the door to find Gabe waiting patiently. She continued moving down the hall and spoke over her shoulder. "Let's get this over with."  
  
Gabe nodded and followed her.  
  
***  
  
"This is Mark Herndon, and this is Greg Madison. They are head of..."  
  
Liz tried to listen to what Gabe was saying, focusing on the names of the different people and what they do, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with every stare and handshake. Aaron's words cut deep and she could still hear his voice in her head.  
  
It seemed everyone was glaring at her and that they were not at all pleased with her presence there. She silently agreed with them, but instead of admitting that, she plastered on a smile her father would be proud of and shook everyone's hands as they were offered to her.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Liz saw a man starting to approach her at a rather fast pace. His face was beet red, the veins in his neck were popping out, and she thought that his head would explode in any minute. "So, you think you can just waltz in here and give everyone orders because your father owns the place? Is that right?"  
  
Liz was taken completely aback and wasn't sure if she should answer the question. Apparently not, because the man started speaking again before she could even think of a response.  
  
A short laugh came out of the tall man. Liz thought he had to be in his thirties. "I had a good job, before your father decided to have you come here. Now I'm stuck in a lower level one, not earning what I deserve, just because Daddy's little girl wanted to own a big company! Make herself feel real important!!"  
  
Liz shook her head and wanted to ask for a security guard but seemed glued to the spot. The man was invading her personal space and she could feel his hot breath on her face. If he didn't move soon she was going to panic.  
  
Gabe immediately walked over to a phone nearby and dialed a few numbers. Within minutes two security men came over and Gabe instructed them to take the disgruntled man out of the building.  
  
"I won't give you the satisfaction of firing me, Miss Luthor! I quit!" The man shrugged off the security guards and stormed out of the building yelling that she wouldn't get away with this. Liz just stood there shaking and her face drained of color. Gabe walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Miss Luthor, are you all right?"  
  
Liz looked at Gabe and then the rest of the group of employees, who were staring at her with odd expressions on their faces. "I'm fine, Mr. Sullivan. I think I'm through for the day. If you'll excuse me."  
  
She tried not to think about what had just happened. When she reached her office, Liz ran for her desk. Grabbing her purse, she took out a small prescription bottle of Valium. Four pills spilled out and swallowed them down dry then opened her office door and started walking out of the building.  
  
Her whole world seemed to be crumbling and she didn't know what to do.  
  
The sight of her motorcycle was a pleasant one and she almost could smile when she started the engine.  
  
She needed to forget everything.  
  
Liz placed her helmet on then pealed out of the parking lot at a break-neck speed.  
  
*** 


	4. Impact

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to "Smallville," DC comics, or any of the Superman characters. I just borrow them for my own enjoyment. Please don't sue me. My imagination is wilder than my possessions.  
  
Author's notes: Ugh, it took me forever to write this chapter. I had no idea. : p  
  
THANK YOU!: MitchPell, thanks for looking up facts for me and beta reading so fast! : )  
  
Feedback: Thanks to all anonymous reviewers! Please review! I like to know what you all think of my story. Is it the best thing ever? Is it crap? Let me know! I need the help, trust me! : )  
  
MitchPell, thank you! I want to go into Aaron more and I will. : )  
  
HuffyTheCampfireSlayer, thank you for letting me bend your ear about this chapter. It really helps. : )  
  
How soon is now: I hope to have the fifth chapter really soon. I don't want to promise anything but I'm shooting for two weeks.  
  
For future chapters: Well, there will be two more chapters at the most for the "Pilot" part of this fic.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
The air was getting colder as the sun set in the sky. Liz needed to be alone and the castle wouldn't be the most peaceful place right now. Riding on her bike made her feel like she was flying. It gave her a sense of solitude, which was one of the many reasons why she had always driven motorcycles.  
  
Keeping her focus on the road ahead, she was able to enjoy the sunset before the sky turned completely black. Even though she enjoyed the sun, she was happy to see it go. Liz could relate to the night. It was like being blind. You didn't have to see everyone's flaws. Her lack of hair was a flaw. Every time she looked into the mirror she was reminded of that fact.  
  
Aaron was one of the few people Liz allowed to see her without the wig. He always complimented her when they went out in public. Yet, he insisted she take it off when they got back home and it was just the two of them. She was touched that he didn't want her to wear it all of the time. Her other beaus had felt awkward about it. They would turn away when she took the wig off and it made her feel as though she was ugly without it.  
  
Now she was living in the one place that had taken away her precious hair. Smallville. Just the name sent a chill down her spine. She was here, however. And nothing, not even a disgruntled ex-employee, would make her leave. She made a promise to her father to see this through and she would.  
  
Liz let her bike carry her across the Kansas countryside. She didn't have a clue where she was going. All she knew was that she was still in Smallville. She had to admit, this wasn't the brightest thing to be doing in the town that haunts her dreams almost every night, but she really didn't care.  
  
Landmarks and street names were becoming more and more difficult to see as the Valium began to take effect. She hadn't taken that much but she was beginning to feel better. Her fears and current problems were fading away slowly one by one and all that was left was the sound of blood rushing to her ears.  
  
The wind whipped about her as she squeezed the gas harder, increasing the speed of the vehicle. Tears blurred her vision as she recalled the previous conversation with Aaron. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to rid a few of them. When she reopened them she realized she was on a bridge.  
  
A small gray and furry looking animal ran out in front of her motorcycle. Liz swerved sharply to avoid hitting the rodent, causing the bike to start turning onto its side.  
  
Just as she thought she was about to hit the hard concrete of the bridge, something passed her in a blur and attached itself to her arm. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. She could feel the bones breaking as the thing squeezed tighter trying to get a better grip.  
  
In the midst of everything a face came into view. The face of a dark haired... angel? Surely she was dreaming. She didn't believe in supernatural beings coming to her rescue but that was what was happening.  
  
She was too out of it to be afraid and couldn't feel much pain. Letting go, she drifted away into total darkness.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
Being this year's scarecrow was the last thing on Clark's mind when he handed his father the permission slip. Despite what he belied to Pete, he just wanted to do something in school other than help Chloe with the Torch. He liked the Torch but obviously not as much as Chloe. Football probably wouldn't be his greatest obsession but Lana being the lead cheerleader didn't hurt.  
  
His father reminding him of his "special abilities" burned like salt on an open wound.  
  
"I'll be careful, dad."  
  
"I know you'll be careful but what if there's an accident?"  
  
Does he have no faith in me at all? He shook his head and looked at his father. "I would just like to go through the rest of high school without being a total loser."  
  
The look on his father's face upon saying that was a little frightening. His father would look clouded, guarded sometimes at situations like this and Clark wished that the ability to read minds would magically appear.  
  
Jonathon opened his mouth as if to say something but quickly closed it. Confronting his father about this right now would only lead to another argument. With disappointment written all over his face, Clark frowned and walked out the door. Leaving the permission slip in his father's hand.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
Pete really did look goofy in that silly football helmet of his. It was three sizes too big as well as those shoulder pads, and of course he wasn't jealous.well, maybe a little. Thinking about it only made him more upset. Watching Whitney and Lana out on the field blowing each other kisses hadn't helped either.  
  
Out of frustration and the need to be alone, Clark came to the bridge. He watched as a few tears fell from off of his cheek and down into the river below. It was really silly. Crying over something as stupid as football. But it wasn't just that. Questions unanswered burned inside of him like the tears behind his eyes. He wiped at his face fiercely, trying to regain his composure.  
  
Clark turned around when he felt something brush up against his back. The hairs at his neck prickled up as the wind swirled around him. "Hey!" He saw the back of a motorcycle driving past him at a very fast speed.  
  
He noticed that it was definitely going over the speed limit with no signs of slowing down. He watched as an opossum ran in front of the vehicle. The motorcycle began to turn in order to try and avoid a collision but the bike was going at to fast a speed, and it lost its balance.  
  
In the space of five seconds, he rushed over and grabbed the driver's arm, lifted her up, then deposited her to the ground. He watched as the bike fell onto it's side and spun around until it crashed into the railing of the bridge. The machine sputtered and screeched until finally it stopped.  
  
As he looked down at the woman he realized she was still unconscious but breathing, and for that he was thankful. Upon closer inspection he noticed the arm he had grabbed was twisted oddly. He lifted it for a closer look and felt the frail bones give under the pressure.  
  
A moan escaped the woman's mouth. It took him by surprise and he let go of the arm. He knew she would have had a lot more injuries or possibly be dead if he hadn't of grabbed her, but he couldn't help feeling guilty.  
  
He took the helmet off of the woman's head and was surprised when a wig was pulled off of the smooth head.  
  
Clark wondered if she might be ill. Her skin looked extremely pale and there was sweat beading on her forehead. She trembled when he placed a hand on her forehead. She wasn't burning up but he knew he needed to get her to a hospital.  
  
Seeing as the only means of transportation was severely damaged, he picked her up in his strong arms and ran at an incredible speed to his destination.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
Elizabeth shot straight up out of her bed screaming. She was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. Her surroundings were not familiar and that made her feel even more scared.  
  
A shadow replacing the small amount of light shining from the open door, caused Liz to look to her side. The woman causing the sudden darkness was clad in white and could only be described as a nurse. She walked towards her with a worried expression on her face. "Are you ok, Miss?"  
  
Liz tried to calm down her beating heart and swallowed hard before speaking. "I just had a bad dream." Shivering, she asked as calmly as she could, "Where am I?"  
  
The nurse paused for a minute as if trying to find the best answer. "Smallville General Hospital."  
  
Liz nodded slowly then looked down at her arm and grimaced when she tried to move it. It was wrapped up in a cast that was very uncomfortable and tight against her skin. "I'm not sure how I got here."  
  
The nurse examined the hurt arm and answered. "Well, you fell from your motorcycle according to the man who brought you in here. Do you remember anything?"  
  
"No, I don't. Not really."  
  
"Are you sure you fell from a bike, hun? It wasn't something else, was it?"  
  
Elizabeth knew that look. She had to deal with people giving her those kinds of looks all of her life. Pity, and a little bit of worry. Fear for her, maybe. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, there are bruises in the shape of fingerprints on your broken arm. You hadn't gotten into a fight, had you?"  
  
"No, no. I was on my motorcycle." A memory of a man with dark hair crossed her mind.  
  
"You're a lucky girl then. You could have broken more than your arm."  
  
"Who brought me into the hospital?"  
  
The nurse sighed and answered. "He left before we could get a name. Just said he saw you fall and brought you in."  
  
Odd. Why would a hero not leave his name for a reward? "What did he look like?"  
  
"He was tall young man. Scared to death. He had a thick head of black hair too."  
  
Although most of the events of last night were still muddy, that confirmed her fears that this wasn't a dream. "How long do I have to stay here?" She had to find this man.  
  
"First, the doctor wants to ask you some questions. We don't even know your name."  
  
"It's Elizabeth Luthor and I'll speak with the doctor now. " The nurse's face seemed to register the name and nodded briefly before walking out the door.  
  
The sooner she got this whole thing over with the sooner she could get out of here and find her mysterious hero.  
  
  
  
To be continued... 


	5. Fathers

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to "Smallville," DC comics, or any of the Superman characters. I just borrow them for my own enjoyment. Please don't sue me. My imagination is wilder than my possessions.   
  
Author's notes: Holy cripes! I cannot believe it took me this friggin' long to repost! Real life sucks. That's all I can say.   
  
THANK YOU!: MitchPell, You're a lifesaver! You read this chapter a bazillion times and helped me so much! Thanks for sticking with me. : )  
  
Feedback: Please review! I like to know what you all think of my story. Is it the best thing ever? Is it crap? Let me know! I need the help, trust me! : )  
  
Melindoty: There will be many romances in Liz's life. But if you mean between Clark and Liz. Definitely. Thanks for reading! : )  
  
DebC75: Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! I'm glad you are loving it. : D  
  
How soon is now: I hope to have the next chapter within a week. For real this time. ; )  
  
For future chapters: In the next chapter I'll have Liz and Clark meet under better circumstances.  
  
  
  
****  
The events that had transpired over the course of the last 24 hours ran through Liz's mind as she waited for the doctor to appear.  
  
Aaron's phone call had been unpleasant but not unexpected. Surprisingly enough, it had affected Liz more than she thought it would. She hadn't wanted to take the Valium, but it rarely had any real effect on her. It just helped to erode the hard edges of life. And lately her life seemed to be getting harder.   
  
Liz wondered if the doctor would pick up on the dosage and reprimand her for driving. Surely he wouldn't give her more than a slap on the wrist. But Liz hadn't been hospitalized since her encounter with the meteors, and she didn't know if that was just a coincidence or something more. Admittedly, the doctor might notice some irregularities in her bloodstream. In the past they had always questioned her, voicing their concerns about the possibility of cancer. Her elevated white blood cell count made it easy to make the mistake, but Liz didn't mind explaining her odd situation to people  
  
Then there was the whereabouts of this mysterious hero, who seemed to have been in quite a hurry to get away. The initial shock of the accident had caused Liz to forget a lot of things but she was certain the young man reached out for her with an unusual amount of speed and strength.   
  
Liz's thoughts were interrupted when a gentleman, who looked to be in his early thirties, walked through the door wearing a long white coat. He spoke in a kind and respectful tone as he addressed her.   
  
"Miss Luthor, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dr. William Tyner. How is your arm?"  
  
After a quick glance down to inspect the injury, Liz looked back up to meet the man's eyes before answering. "I was hoping you could tell me, doctor."   
  
Dr. Tyner smiled politely and retrieved an x-ray from a file folder located on the wall. He then walked over to the side of the hospital bed so Liz could see it more clearly. "Well, your right humerus has a comminuted fracture," He said this while pointing to the location of injury. The image showed several severe breaks in Liz's upper arm, and there were tiny fragments protruding from the larger bone segments.   
  
After allowing Liz to look at the image for a few moments, he replaced the x-ray and pulled out another more recent one.  
  
"I had to place several pins in a few different locations to keep the bone aligned properly while it is healing. The procedure required us to make a couple of small incisions into your arm. The bones, as you can tell, had almost been completely crushed by the accident. And we felt this was the best solution in order to insure that your arm healed in a timely fashion."  
  
"Do you know how long it will take for it to heal?"  
  
"I see no reason for your cast not to come off within six or ten weeks. However, it may be six months before you regain full use of your arm. I would suggest you have a physical therapist help you properly exercise your arm to prevent muscle atrophy and joint stiffness. Which will play a big part in your recovery."  
  
After placing the x-ray images back into their folder, Dr. Tyner signaled for the nurse to bring in some paperwork. "After you sign a few of these papers you will be able to leave. Would you like to call someone to have them pick you up?"  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
"Of course. The nurse will see to your needs until you are ready to check out."  
  
"Thank you again, Dr. Tyner. It was nice meeting you."  
  
"The same, Miss Luthor."   
  
  
  
****  
After getting off of the phone with a driver from the mansion, Liz wanted nothing more than to leave peacefully. But reporters were already staked outside the hospital wanting to ask questions regarding to the accident.   
  
As she looked up she checked her reflection in the mirror. The thought of reporters taking her picture now made her laugh nervously. "If it isn't bad enough that I got myself into this mess, I have to wear a scarf with little multi-colored teddy bears." She said aloud. She was thankful the nurse thought to give her the head cover, but she had to wonder if people seeing her bald scalp would be less embarrassing.   
  
Liz was halfway towards the front desk before a nurse stopped her. "Miss Luthor, it is hospital policy to wheel you out of the building."  
  
Cocking her head to one side, Liz studied the woman addressing her for a few moments before speaking. "Of course. But as you can see it is my arm that is broken, not my leg. I am quite capable of walking myself."  
  
The nurse nodded, her eyes twinkling with humor. "I understand that, but it's a rule that can't be broken." She took a wheelchair out from a nearby storage closet, and opened it up then patted the seat signaling that Liz should sit.  
  
Seeing no way out, Liz resigned herself to the fact and sat down. As the nurse started to wheel her to the back of the building, Liz noticed that she was moving in the wrong direction. "I called for a car to be brought around to the front of the building."  
  
"The doctor suspected you wouldn't want to deal with reporters right now." She didn't wait for a reply before resuming her previous act of pushing Liz's wheelchair towards the back entrance.  
  
Liz was struck momentarily speechless over how swiftly everything had been handled. She was thankful that Dr. Tyner had thought of using the back entrance, but she was surprised that the thought hadn't occurred to her. Whether because of the sense dulling effects of the Valium or the unfamiliar surroundings, Liz knew she definitely wasn't herself. And she hoped to be back to normal by the time she reached the mansion.  
  
  
  
****  
When Liz got home, she quickly dialed her father's office number. It was risky trying to catch him late in the afternoon, chances were he was in the middle of an important meeting, but Liz really didn't care. She had some business of her own that needed to be handled as quickly as possible, while her temper was still fresh.  
  
"Anne? Yes, it's Liz. Get my father on the phone." There was a brief pause on the other line then Lionel's personal secretary explained that that wasn't possible. Liz was in no mood for stalling tactics.   
  
"I wouldn't care if he is in the middle of signing a multi-billion dollar contract. I need to speak with him now." Liz waited while the woman got a hold of her father, pacing the stone floor of the foyer. She tried to calm her breathing and racing heart with every step. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Liz counted until she heard her father's voice come on the line.  
  
"Liz, is something wrong? You've never had to interrupt a meeting before."  
  
Liz was satisfied with the worried tone in her father's voice. "Yes, there is. I've been in an accident."  
  
Lionel's reaction was immediate. "I knew that damn bike would be the death of you sooner or later. I hope you've gotten rid of that machine for good."  
  
"Thanks for asking about my health, Father. I'm just fine." Liz stated sarcastically.   
  
"I'm sorry, Liz, but you know how I feel about your choice of transportation."  
  
Liz sighed at the rebuke. "I've never been in a single crash until today, but I assure you I won't be riding any more bikes for quite some time. The accident left me with a broken arm."  
  
There was a long sigh on the line then Lionel answered. "Maybe I shouldn't have sent you to Smallville. You obviously aren't ready to handle that big of a responsibility."  
  
Liz blinked at the quick change of topics. "This has absolutely nothing to do with my capabilities here in Smallville. However, it has everything to do with how you handled Aaron. I can't believe you actually bribed him to break up with me."  
  
"If I had known it would cause you to drive recklessly, then I would have chosen a less hectic day."   
  
Liz shook her head at the absurdity of her father's statement. She replied in a saddened tone, "Do you really think that little of me?"  
  
"The problem wasn't being taken care of. You didn't need any far away attachments distracting you from your work here. He isn't worth the effort of a long distance relationship, Lizzie."  
  
There was some truth to Lionel's words, but Liz tried to remain fervent about getting the point across. "That is for me to decide, not you."  
  
"I let you and Aaron remain together under the knowledge that you would break up with him when you came back to the States. You turned his marriage proposal down because of that fact. Now, tell me exactly what I did wrong?"  
  
It was just like him to not take blame for even the most incriminating of circumstances, Liz thought to herself. "My personal life is just that, personal. I wish you would just stay out of my business when it comes to my relationships. Aaron wasn't doing anything wrong when he proposed to me. I didn't accept, yes, but I just needed time. When you and mom first met were all sides against you or with you?"  
  
"Don't bring your mother into this. She was a very special woman. Your dear Mr. Fletcher isn't a special man. If anything he is the epitome of what you should not associate yourself with."  
  
"How would you know?"  
  
After a long pause, a softer, gentler version of Lionel's usually commanding voice came out of the earpiece. "Just trust me. I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt. I always keep your best interests at heart. Do you hate me for that?"  
  
Whatever Lionel knew about Aaron must have been important enough to break off the relationship, Liz thought to herself. She sighed and spoke in a young voice that bellied her insecurities. "I don't hate you father. I understand what you were trying to do on some level."  
  
"Good. Now, I do want you to stay in Smallville, but I don't want you working there alone right now. At least not while you are injured. I'm sending Dominic."  
  
Liz knew, if anything, Dominic would be more of a hindrance than a help here. "There's no need. My arm will be in a sling for only a few short weeks."  
  
"I can't afford the plant suffering for any length of time due to this accident at any cost."  
  
Liz frowned at her father's choice of words. It was back to business with him. She sighed and agreed softly. "All right. But on one condition."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
It was uncomfortable for Liz to ask but she swallowed down her pride. "I don't want Dominic staying at the mansion."   
  
"Why? Has he done something to make you feel uncomfortable?"   
  
"No, it's just… I will have a hard enough time gaining the respect of these people as it is. But a man living here with me, well, this isn't Metropolis, Father."  
  
A small laugh of relief and understanding erupted from the phone. "Of course. I'll find an apartment for him to stay in not far from the mansion. Anything else?"  
  
"I'm sorry that I interrupted your business meeting."  
  
"I would have been disappointed if you hadn't."  
  
Liz wondered at that statement. As if he might already have known about the accident. It wouldn't be unlike him to be informed of her well being through sources unknown to her. But she tried not to think too much about that.  
  
There was a long pause over the phone before Lionel spoke with true compassion. "I'm sorry about your arm, Lizzie."  
  
The kind words affected Liz more than she wanted to admit. She covered up her emotions with a sarcastic remark. "But it was bound to happen with my choice of transportation, Father. You know that."  
  
Lionel laughed. "Goodbye, Liz."  
  
"Goodbye, father."  
  
After hanging up the phone, Liz walked into the main living area and lowered herself into an overstuffed chair. Laying her weary head down slowly, Liz closed her eyes and tried to relax. She replayed the conversation between herself and her father over and over in her mind until she finally drifted off into a restless sleep.  
  
  
  
****  
Everything seemed to be going in slow motion for Clark after he left the hospital. He ran straight home as fast as he could. The nurse seemed to judge him as if he had done something wrong when he'd handed the young woman over to her.   
_ "I found her on the bridge."  
  
"In this condition?"  
  
"Yes, she... I saw her fall from her bike and I rushed to see if she was ok."  
  
"Do you know her?"  
  
"No. I've never seen her before."_  
"Son? Are you up there? Dinner's ready."   
  
Jonathan's voice cut through Clark's thoughts. He nodded his head knowing his father probably couldn't see it. "I'm not really hungry."  
  
Jonathan made his way up to his son and laid a hand on his shoulder coaxing him to turn around. He took in Clark's disheveled appearance then the auburn wig in his son's hands.  
  
"Something happened." Clark's voice cracked a little and he swallowed before continuing. "I saved someone's life. But I didn't want to. I mean… I wanted to but I wasn't expecting to do it the way I did. I shouldn't have been able to."  
  
"Take a deep breath and try to calm down." Jonathan cupped the back of Clark's head and gently squeezed a few times. "Tell me exactly what happened."  
  
In a small voice Clark tried to explain the events that had transpired over the past two hours. "I didn't know what else to do."  
  
"Do you know who she is?"  
  
"I have no idea. I'm sure she wasn't from around here." Clark paused and looked at the wig in his hands.   
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Her license plate. It said 'EL1.'"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. I remember because it came flying at me when the bike exploded against the railing."  
  
"Were you hurt?"  
  
"No, no. I can't be… hurt. At least I don't think I can be." Clark sighed and turned back around to look out the barn window. "It's so frustrating. I don't know what I'm capable of. I keep surprising myself, scaring myself. I think I crushed that woman's arm with my strength and… even though I know I saved her life, I still… hurt her." Clark sighed and threw his head into his hands.   
  
"It's ok, Clark. It's ok. You did the right thing." Jonathan took Clark into his arms and held him for a few moments until the boy calmed down. "She didn't see you, did she?"  
  
"She was unconscious. I don't think she would have remembered anything."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Clark rubbed his eyes hard and tried to regain his composure. "Yes."  
  
Jonathan grabbed Clark's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "You've known for a long time that you're different. We even talked about it this morning when you wanted to try out for football…"  
  
"God, Dad. I know what you were saying now. I-I can't trust myself. What if I had lost control of my strength and killed her?"  
  
"No, that's not what I meant, Clark. The point is you didn't, and you saved someone's life. You have every right to be scared, but I don't want you to berate yourself over what happened. Do you understand?"  
  
Clark nodded and Jonathan hugged him again. "Now, how about we go get some dinner, ok?"  
  
After wiping his nose off of his sleeve, Clark gave his father a small smile. "Ok."   
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
_To be continued…_


	6. Awakening

**Author's Notes: **I apologize to the few of you out there who have been waiting for this chapter and perhaps even a conclusion to this little "what-if" story of mine. I see that a lot of other authors, people whose stories I enjoy reading, have had a little fun with the possibility of Lex being a girl. I hope they don't mind me continuing with my own version. I like the idea of there being many of them out there.

**How soon is now: **I have the next chapter uploaded now. I'm just tweaking it. As far as when next one will be posted… I'm deciding whether or not to continue episodically or do my own storylines with a few FotWs thrown in for kicks. We'll see. Hopefully the next chapters won't take so long to finish. And hopefully my real-life will give me some more time to write.

**Future Chapters: **Another spat with Dominic, a trip to the doctor, and Whitney. Woo!

**Beta: **This story hasn't been beta tested recently. I wrote this chapter about two years ago and had it beta'd but it's since doubled in size. I don't want to burden my trusted friend with it again, she's got enough to do, and I don't have time to find another one at the moment.

**Feedback: **Please feel free to point out my mistakes and tell me if it bored the heck out of ya. I appreciate all comments. I would also appreciate some references for beta readers.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the rights to Smallville or most of these characters. They belong to The WB, DC, and MillarGough. I'm just playin'.

* * *

Liz woke just moments before her alarm went off at six in the morning. The huge curtains that covered the balcony windows to the right of her bed had been left open the previous evening and were letting in the first delicate rays of sunlight. She turned her head and looked straight up at the oak stained beams that were attached to the elevated ceiling. Lifting herself up, she glanced around the rest of the room. It was decorated in cold wintry shades that were a good match for her mood. 

Although Liz hated the castle and its gloomy feel 99 percent of the time it currently seemed a lot more endurable than the cheery green expanse outside.

With a small sigh of discontent and a quick flick of her wrist, she threw the covers off of herself and forced her way out of bed to quickly close the drapes on the view outside.

The uselessness of one arm had not quite registered until Liz eyed the long sleeved dress shirt laid out for her to wear this morning. Despite the protests in her head telling her to always look professional at a place of work, she decided to go casual and settled on a pair of designer jeans, a cream-colored shell, and a loose, burgundy, silk over-shirt.

After laying out the more appropriate attire, Liz looked down at her cast and grimaced at the job at hand. She found the plastic bag and rubber bands that were laid out the night before per the doctors request and secured it around her right arm.

Liz turned on the shower then walked in to clean off the memory of having been in a hospital the previous day. The hot water soothed her aching muscles running over her bare scalp and down her back. In her attempt to not get her cast too wet, she discovered that she was able to move her arm more comfortably than before. She wondered how, in only 24 hours, her arm seemed to have progressed to this state. Surely if the doctor had noticed anything unusual he would have told her. She let herself be content with that knowledge, but resigned herself that if this continued she would have to make an appointment to see Dr. Tyner.

A few minutes later she stepped out of the shower stall and quickly dried off. She reached for her lavender terrycloth robe and placed it on her shoulders tying it securely at the waist then walked over to her clothes and began dressing. Liz managed to get the cast through the arm of her shell and she placed her left arm through the sleeve of the shirt and let the right remain empty, hanging over her cast.

Clothes in place, Liz sat down at her vanity and looked at her reflection. There had been a few small cuts and bruises on her cheek and brow the day before, but now she couldn't even tell she had been in an accident other than the cast on her arm and a grayish-blue tinge under her eyes. She applied a small amount of makeup to cover that up and reached automatically for her usual wig but remembered it was lost at the site of the accident.

Grabbing her replacement wig instead, Liz shook it gently to make the strands fall into a more natural look then positioned it carefully onto her scalp. She tugged the front hairline in position and pulled the back hairline down to the nape of her neck. Picking up a styling comb, she ran it through the strands to make them look looser. With a final check in the reflection to make sure every hair was in place, she made her way down the stairs to the dining area where the long mahogany table was set for one on the end nearest the entryway.

A small petite woman with hair the purest shade of white named Loretta Stanley introduced herself as the cook while she placed a silver covered dish on the table. She smiled and nodded then excused herself to leave Liz alone with her food.

As she lifted the cover and looked over the selection, Liz wondered if Ms. Stanley would take offense if she didn't consume more than a cup of black coffee. The thought crossed her mind that it wouldn't be wise to insult the cook who would be preparing the meals over the next couple of months. She sighed in resignation as she sat down and picked up her fork and knife, cutting a slice of tomato into bite size pieces. The taste that assaulted her mouth made her spit out her mouthful into her napkin. She wondered if this was what all vegetables tasted like here in Smallville.

The title on the front page of the newspaper placed next to Liz's plate made her close her eyes and forget momentarily about the dreadful tomato slice. "Luthor Daughter In Motor Accident."

Liz fought the urge to laugh. Making the front page wasn't a common occurrence for her but when she managed that menial task her full name was never printed, just the "daughter" label. That bothered her more than the absurd yet apparent fact that her accident was enough to make front page news in this small town.

With a sigh Liz took a sip of coffee then opened the paper up to the stock market section noticing that the Luthor Corp. stocks were up a half point. Not really enough to make her father ecstatic, but it was doing better than last week which meant he wouldn't take the headline quite so seriously when it reached him.

"Is everything alright, Miss Luthor?"

Liz looked up from her paper to see Mrs. Stanley smiling down at her expectantly. "Yes. And please, call me Liz. I'm not one to use formalities."

Mrs. Stanley's smile widened in what Liz thought might be relief. She could only imagine what it must be like to work for someone she only knew by reputation.

"Very well. Is there anything else I can get you… Liz?"

"No, thank you." Liz watched the cook turn to leave but thought she might ask about the tomatoes while she had the chance. "Mrs. Stanley?"

"Yes?"

"Who is currently supplying the vegetables for the meals?"

"We get them shipped from Metropolis."

Liz nodded. "I was hoping they would be local."

"No. But the Farmers Market is Saturday morning. Maybe you could check out the local suppliers and decide on a suitable one."

"Thank you. I might do that." Liz watched Mrs. Stanley turn and leave.

By the time Liz finished her paper, and what she hoped was enough food to make Ms. Stanley happy, it was time to leave.

* * *

On the drive to the LuthorCorp. building, Liz hoped she would get there before Dominic, her father's assistant. It had been three years since she had last seen him. Lionel had him escort her to England when he decided it would be best for her to go to school there. Dominic's job had been to make sure she was settled in her new home. 

Just the move alone had been overwhelming for Liz. Going someplace new was never easy for her and the uncomfortable feeling was magnified with being in an entirely new country.

If she hadn't had an anxiety attack the night of her arrival, it might not have taken four weeks for Liz to finally have Dominic convinced, enough to tell Lionel, that she was stable enough to make it on her own without him being there.

Yet, the four weeks might have turned into months if she hadn't caught him using her apartment to entertain a guest while he thought she was away getting acquainted with the school.

Liz knew Lionel thought the motor accident was similar to the anxiety attack in England. A ploy in hopes of gaining his attention. And now she had Dominic there again as her punishment. But she would never try something like that to go back home. And even if she had, she knew Lionel would just send his assistant to handle the mess. Which was why the entire situation was frustrating.

The car slowly pulled into the company parking lot and came to a stop directly in front of the building. Liz told the driver to wait then made her way inside.

Many people stopped what they were doing to stare at Liz in what she assumed was the initial shock of her being here after the accident. Either that, or maybe her decision to go casual wasn't as good an idea as she had originally thought. But at least Gabe Sullivan gave her a small sympathetic smile and a quick good morning before she walked into her office.

It was with much frustration that Liz found the man she was hoping to avoid sitting comfortably in her leather chair, lazily typing on her computer. Her first impulse was to demand that he leave. But she couldn't let her emotions win out.

The sound of the door closing shut was what finally caused the piercing blue eyes of Lionel Luthor's assistant to leap up off the computer screen he'd been looking at. A sardonic smile crept across his face as he rose from his seat to greet his guest. "Elizabeth!"

Dominic did up one of the buttons of his charcoal gray suit jacket as he walked around the desk. He folded his arms neatly across his chest and lifted his head slightly in an act of superiority that amused Liz rather than intimidated her. "Have you come to make sure I don't mess with your things?"

"Possibly." Liz gave Dominic a polite smile she used when handling strangers then started walking around her office making sure everything was still in place. She could feel Dominic's gaze on her as she moved some objects around a fraction of an inch from where they were.

"I'm going to assume you still have some ill feelings towards me after all this time."

Liz picked up an artifact she hadn't seen in the office before off of a glass shelf then spoke in a bored tone, "Now what would give you that impression, Dominic?"

"Well, I'm not allowed in the mansion for some unknown reason."

"I was just worried you might bring your girlfriend. What was her name?" Liz turned her head to garner Dominic's reaction. There was a slight pinkness high on his cheekbones that wasn't there earlier, and she thought his expression was priceless.

Dominic quickly cleared his throat then asked, "How is your arm feeling?"

Liz let out a quiet laugh at the abrupt change in subject. "It's fine, thank you for asking." She immediately began rummaging, one-handedly, through the file folders in a string of file cabinets that lined the wall. She became distracted from her search when she heard Dominic stepping up behind her.

"I was informed about the incident with Mr. Gaines," Dominic paused and reached around Liz to take the folder she had just retrieved. After looking through the folder for a few moments, he continued, "Did he threaten you?"

It only took a moment for Liz's annoyance to subside long enough to remember the encounter. She turned to face her father's assistant and answered as calmly as she could. "Of course he was very angry at the time. But I'm not worried about him trying anything radical."

Dominic nodded and gave Liz back the folder he'd taken. She could see the doubt lingering in his eyes when he spoke again. "Still, it's best to be safe in situations like these. I'll let your father know about it and see to it you have the proper security at the mansion."

The last thing Liz needed was an army of people lurking around the castle. She could hardly stand the fact that there were maids and butlers to bump into at any moment as it were. She missed her simple, little one-bedroom apartment in England now more than ever. Even a small dorm room sounded like heaven to her right now. Also, she couldn't bare the thought of Dominic staying here longer because of there being a threat to her safety. She squared her shoulders and looked Dominic in the eye with the most demanding look she could manage. "I don't think that's necessary. There is enough security at the mansion, and I would certainly know if I was in any danger."

A look of determination was etched across Dominic's face as he looked at her. "I'm not taking any chances."

It was difficult to reason with Dominic when he had his mind set on something, and Liz was well aware of that fact. With a sigh, she conceded. "Just talk to my father before you make any decisions."

"I think he would respect my wishes."

Before Liz could stop herself, she rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "Your loyalty astounds me."

Dominic grabbed Liz's right arm firmly and looked at her with a fierce expression. "You could be hurt. While I'm here I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. When I'm gone you can do whatever you wish."

Liz's mouth opened slightly in shock. She was surprised by this sudden display of emotion. Whether it was brought on by an ingrained fear of Lionel should the man's daughter be hurt under his watch or something more; Liz wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to push the issue any further.

Schooling her features, Liz shook the arm in Dominic's hand in an attempt to free it However when he did not take the hint, she spoke in an icy voice, "Let go."

Dominic's eyes widened in panic as if he had just realized what he had done and immediately released his hold on Liz's arm. "I'm sorry…"

Liz cut him off with a swift wave of her hand and an exhausted tone, "I'm going home. Call me if there's an emergency."

The door was slammed shut on the next apology out of Dominic's mouth.

* * *

"Earth to Clark!" 

Clark looked up with a start into the sparkling green eyes of Chloe Sullivan's serious face. He didn't know how long he had been caught staring at the computer screen, but he was certain it had been a while judging from the slightly annoyed look on the head writer's face. "What?"

"Are you through checking the article for grammatical errors yet or do I have to sic Pete on you?"

Clark replied honestly, "Oh, No. Not quite… almost though."

"Clark! Principal Kwan is already on my tail about getting this paper finished on time." With a sigh, Chloe shook her head in defeat at the blank expression on Clark's face. "Five minutes, no more. Or I'm screwed."

With a small grateful grin, Clark replied, "Thanks, Chlo."

Chloe rolled her eyes in return. "Whatever. I want to see that," she tapped her fingernail noisily on the glass screen of the monitor for emphasis, "done in five." She then turned on her heels and started sorting papers.

Exhaling slowly, Clark tried to go back to concentrating on what he was doing but the words, "Luthor Daughter In Motor Accident" kept flashing across his vision. He knew he shouldn't be looking at the front page of the Smallville Ledger's Website. In fact, he shouldn't even have been online when he was supposed to be working, but he was curious if the accident would be reported. Though, he never imagined it would be front page news.

At first, Clark thought that maybe this wasn't the same accident, but there weren't that many motorcycles in Smallville, and it was too much of a coincidence that this accident happened the same day he saved a young woman from crashing against the bridge.

After finishing the article, Clark decided that the most troubling aspect of the whole thing was that it was a well-known individual instead of a wandering stranger. Not to mention that this 'celebrity' of sorts was taking up residence here for the next six months at least, quoted from Nell Potter, Lana's aunt. The idea of running into Liz on the streets of Smallville made Clark extremely nervous. Not because he did anything wrong, but because he didn't want to face the situation right now or at all if he could help it. Even if it meant avoiding Lana, school, the Beanery, and anywhere where there were people.

The one thing about the accident that troubled Clark the most was that it happened so fast he didn't have time to control his strength or speed. If he had been normal, Liz Luthor would be in a coma at the very least. And if she remembered anything, she would know that was true. Which meant, he had just shown his abilities to a complete stranger.

Thankfully, there was no personal statement from Miss Luthor. He just hoped it stayed that way. The only statement that could possibly link him to the scene had been made by a nurse at the hospital saying that Miss Luthor had been delivered to the hospital by a young man. No identifications were made and Clark couldn't have been more relieved. Maybe he wouldn't have to become a recluse.

"Isn't that amazing! A Luthor back in town. Just what we all need."

Pete's spiteful voice caught Clark off guard, and he swerved around in his chair to look up at the angry face of his friend. "What do you mean?"

"This girl's father forced my father and uncle into selling their creamed corn factory over to him for practically nothing only to turn it into a fertilizer plant."

Clark searched his mind for the few conversations he had overheard about the Ross' factory. "But I thought that they were well compensated."

"Yeah, that's what the Luthors want you to think." Pete rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "If my family had been able to keep their factory we would have been millionaires."

Clark shook his head. "I didn't know that, Pete."

Pete shrugged. "Hey, it happened a long time ago but it brings all of the memories back when I see the 'L' name. Anyway, I heard that the plant is doing badly. That's why Mr. Luthor sent his daughter here to fix the problem. But I really doubt she'll stay here long after that accident. It doesn't look like it was pretty."

Chloe peeked in between the two heads blocking her view of the computer screen. "Hey! Stop reading the Ledger, Clark, and get back to work." The feisty blonde reached up and grabbed the top of one of Pete's ears gently and tugged a little. "And Pete, stop distracting Clark. I need you over here."

Pete gave out a loud yelp of pain and replied, "Yes, ma'am!"

Clark chuckled and then tried his best to get through the day without thinking about the newspaper article.

* * *

For Liz, the nightmares always start disguised as a fond memory. Simple, pleasant thoughts would lull her into a deep slumber before everything changed for the worse. Usually it was the caw of a crow that signaled the change, but this time was different. 

Liz should have forced herself awake the moment the dream started to take shape, but she wanted to try and control her fear and possibly end the dreams once and for all.

This time she wasn't a little nine-year-old girl, but twenty-one and reliving the entire experience of the meteor shower from 1989 as if it was happening at that moment.

Wearing a dark gray business suit, Liz stood in the middle of a deserted street in the middle of the day as the sun beat down on her shoulders. She tried to open the doors of the different stores lined up along the street, but they were all locked.

With her heart pounding, Liz let out a cry of frustration when the last door was bolted shut. As she walked back into the street, she felt the heat of the sun vanish as a dark shadow loomed over her head. Looking up, she saw a huge meteor rock falling towards her at a very fast pace.

Liz started to run away but the tip of her shoe got caught in a crack on the road causing her to trip and fall painfully hard onto the black pavement.

Just when she thought the meteor should have crushed her, a gush of wind enveloped her in a thick green fog.

As Liz came to, a young man walked through the pale green dust that surrounded her. He wore well-worn jeans and a flannel shirt, but his hair was black, not strawberry-blonde like she usually remembered. His eyes were a deep green yet there was a familiarity behind the kindness shown there. He spoke softly as he picked her up, "You're going to be fine. I'll protect you."

Liz woke with a jolt and opened her eyes. She lay still for many moments as she tried to become aware of her surroundings. Her hand grazed the back of the blue, velvet settee she was laying on. The action caused the light to reflect on the face of her wristwatch and she noticed the time. It had only been an hour, but it seemed like much longer to her.

As Liz tried to collect her thoughts about the dream, her hand itched to reach for the phone. Aaron had always been there to help her with that task, saying that every dream means something, even if it's a reoccurring one, it's just the mind's way of helping us organize our thoughts.

The man who had helped her in 1989 was Jonathan Kent, but in her dream he had changed into the young man who had saved her on the bridge two days ago. Mr. Kent had rescued her in Smallville, and now this person had, but Liz couldn't help but think there was more of a connection than that.

Liz got up and walked over to her writing desk to retrieve some paper and a pencil. She began sketching the features of the male she saw in her dream, careful not to leave out any details. When she had finished, she looked at the drawing and shook her head. She knew she was making too much out of this. In fact, she would be chastising Aaron for doing this exact thing if he had been here. With a sigh of resignation, she sat down her sketch and made her way to the powder room.

A few minutes later, a light rap on the door startled Liz as she was splashing cold water onto her face with her left hand.

The voice of one of the maids came through from behind the door. "Miss Luthor, Lana Lang is here to see you."

With a small sigh, Liz called out, "Just give me five minutes and then bring her into the living area, please."

"Yes, Miss Luthor."

Liz gently patted her face dry with a powder-blue hand towel then stood and checked her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was in order and a quick glance down showed that her clothes weren't wrinkled too badly. She refrained from taking the time to replace her make-up and opened the powder room door to make her way to the living area. A moment later she heard Lana's footsteps coming down the hall.

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time."

"No, I'm not busy at all. In fact, I was getting bored. Please, have a seat."

Lana looked nervously at the basket in her hand for a moment then handed them over to Liz. They were full of brightly colored Gerber daisies in seemingly every shade of the rainbow. "These are for you. Nell sends her love."

While holding the basket by its white wicker handle, Liz lifted it up to her face and smelled the peppery scent of the flowers then smiled. "Thank you, they're lovely. I'll set them here," she said as she set the bouquet in the middle of the coffee table.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Liz looked up from positioning the daisies. "Not that I mind the company, but what brings you here, Lana?"

Dressed casually in a yellow sweater and beige slacks, Lana sat down at the edge of a pale gold colored chair and crossed her legs before clearing her throat and speaking. "I was worried about you. I saw the article in the paper and had to see if you were all right."

Liz sat across from Lana in an identical chair, smiling in an attempt to relieve the tension that seemed to be building. She could tell Lana was uncomfortable about something but chose to answer the question instead of asking one herself. "Other than my arm being broken I'm doing well. I don't think I'll be riding my motorcycle anymore. For which my father is eternally grateful."

A smile graced Lana's lips before she emitted a soft chuckle. She quickly became serious again with a glance at Liz's arm and scooted up further on her seat, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you in any pain?"

Liz paused, not wanting to seem weak. She self-consciously rubbed her left hand slowly over her bandaged appendage and exhaled slowly. "The pills the doctor gave me help. Other than some slight discomfort, I hardly feel a thing."

"That's good."

Liz watched Lana fidget for a few moments, noticing how distracted the girl seemed, before asking, "Lana, is everything all right?"

As if just realizing she had been caught staring, Lana quickly shook her head. "Yes. I just couldn't help but notice that drawing you have on the table."

Liz quickly looked down at the lacquered surface and spotted the piece of paper. She was embarrassed to have left it out in the open, but was encouraged at the idea of Lana identifying the face. "Do you recognize him?" She questioned, picking up the paper and handing it over to Lana.

Lana took the representation of the young man into her hands. "He goes to the same school as me. I know it's none of my business, but why were you drawing him?"

Liz could barely conceal her surprise when Lana said she knew him. She thought it too good to be true. "He saved my life. I thought if I could get his features on paper maybe I could find him and thank him."

Lana's eyes widened in shock. "Clark Kent was the person who brought you to the hospital?"

Liz's eyes mirrored Lana's at the mention of the name Kent. All of the pieces were finally coming together in her mind. 'Like father, like son,' she said to herself. "Yes, I believe he did."

Lana shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows. "I can't imagine Clark Kent being so chivalrous."

Liz paused and considered the comment. She thought maybe her drawing was off, but the name Kent still had to mean something. "Is it possible that I've exaggerated features? I'm not an artist by any means."

"No, I recognized him immediately. That's Clark." Lana grinned and tilted her head to look at the image again before saying, "I'm just shocked. He's such a quiet person."

With a grin of her own, Liz spoke quietly, "Sometimes people can surprise you."

* * *

People were already rushing around the large school cafeteria trying to find seating as Clark made his way to the long line of hungry kids. 

Today's lunch was cheese pizza and salad. Clark didn't care for the salad but the pizza was definitely something he wanted and the line didn't seem to be getting any shorter. He peered over the girl in front of him and saw that there was an argument going on over the size of the slice of pizza a boy was getting compared to his friend's slice.

Clark scoffed at the idea of getting so worked up over food then sobered when he put himself in the kid's shoes. "Poor kid," he muttered to himself.

"I know. The lunch lady really should learn how to cut those things evenly."

The fake seriousness of the voice behind Clark made him start and almost lose the tray he was carrying. He quickly turned his head and did a double take. Lana Lang was speaking to him and kidding around. With him! Clark Kent! Not Whitney, who was currently looking at them from where he was sitting with his football buddies. Clark ignored the glare and looked back at Lana. He wasn't feeling nauseous like he normally did around the girl of his dreams, and chalked it up to finally having gotten over her. But he knew that was a lie as he dropped the tray he was carrying when she blinded him with the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. Apparently his arms weren't adjusting as quickly as his stomach.

"Let me get that." Lana stooped down to retrieve the fallen plastic serving dish.

Clark could do nothing but stand and stare until Lana placed the tray back in his hands. "Thanks."

"No problem." Lana searched Clark's face for a moment before speaking again; "I was wondering if you would join me for lunch, Clark."

Clark's eyes bugged out and he looked over at Whitney to see him still glowering their way. He had to ask, "What about Whitney?"

Lana crinkled her nose up at him. "I don't have to eat with my boyfriend every day, do I?"

Clark stiffened at the word boyfriend. He knew she and Whitney were serious, but he was hoping that they had split up. It didn't quite go along with his fantasy if Lana was still with the quarterback. Yet he mustered up a smile nonetheless, and replied, "Oh, well then, sure."

"Good." Lana smiled up at Clark again and then nudged his tray into his stomach gently. "I think the line is finally moving, Clark."

Embarrassed once again, Clark immediately turned back around and walked the short distance to where hot pizza was being served. Once he had his lunch, he made his way over to the nearest available table. Lana trailed behind him and sat down across from him.

Before Clark could grab his piece of pizza, Lana leaned over to inspect his slice then she looked down at her own. After a few moments, she nodded her head in approval and said, "Looks even to me. We can eat now."

Clark chuckled and then proceeded to dispose of his pizza, taking a big bite out of one end.

Lana did the same and the two simply enjoyed their lunch for a while before she said, "I was wondering if you had read about Liz Luthor moving into town."

Clark nearly choked on the pizza he'd just stuffed into his mouth as he inhaled sharply at the mention of Liz Luthor. After a quick swallow of water he nodded calmly. "Yes, I read the article."

Lana eyed him suspiciously but didn't comment on his reaction. "I spoke with her yesterday about the accident. She said a young man helped her to the hospital."

Clark picked at his salad trying not to seem nervous. "I think I read about that." Wanting to change the subject, but at the same time wondering just how close Lana was to Liz, he asked, "How do you know the Luthor's?"

Lana smiled. "I don't actually, but my aunt is friends with Lionel Luthor. Liz contacted us when she got into Smallville and we've remained close since."

Clark couldn't do more than nod and place a forkful of lettuce into his mouth. He chewed for a few moments trying to come up with something to talk about other than Liz Luthor.

Lana broke the silence. "Wouldn't it be weird if the young man was in this school?"

Thinking of nothing to say, Clark just nodded.

"I mean. Liz wants to reward the boy for his kindness. She's very wealthy. I'm sure she would give him anything if he would come forward."

Clark was beginning to get angry at where the conversation was heading and snapped, "What if this boy doesn't want to be rewarded? What if he just wants to go about his life as if nothing happened?"

Lana stared at Clark with an incredulous expression. "In this school? I don't think so. Maybe if the young man was you…"

Clark stared at Lana with a defiant expression.

"Are you trying to tell me something, Clark?"

Clark's face reddened when he realized how his words sounded. He stood, gathering up his trash then weakly stated, "I'm not saying anything, Lana. I'll see you later."

* * *

School went by in a blur for Clark after lunch and consequently his conversation with Lana. He had been shocked when she mentioned the accident. He had been hoping for a more friendly conversation about something silly like the latest South Park episode or even something boring like horses but apparently the only reason Lana had wanted to speak to him was because she thought he was the 'hero' that saved Liz Luthor. 

It bothered him that Lana was so close to knowing. He wondered what kind of information Miss Luthor had discussed with Lana.

What if Liz did remember the speed he used and the strength with which he grabbed a hold of her arm and she told Lana about it?

Clark ran his left hand through his black hair and let out his breath slowly, pausing outside the school.

"Hey, Clark."

Clark turned around to see who called out to him and found Whitney and a group of football players standing behind him sneering. He knew something was wrong with this picture, but he couldn't quite figure out why. "Whitney. What's going on?"

Whitney walked closer to Clark and suddenly Clark started to feel woozy with each step. "Funny, that's what I was going to ask about you and Lana."

Clark grimaced and stared at Lana's necklace hanging around Whitney's neck. "Nothing's going on."

"Nothing, huh. Then why are you staring at her necklace? Do you want it? You can have it. Because that's all you'll be getting from her!"

Clark immediately looked up at Whitney, trying to plead with him. "No! I don't want it." His plea fell on deaf ears as the other football players circled him and knocked him to the ground. The last thing he remembered before passing out was Whitney kneeling in front of him and fastening the necklace to his neck.

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	7. Better Circumstances

**Author's Notes: **This one is a lot shorter than the last but I didn't think it could be any longer. I wasn't able to include a trip to the doctor like I promised because it just didn't fit. It will be in the upcoming one though. I'm sorry it took me five months to post this one, but again, real life demands my full attention at the moment. But things are looking up.

**How soon is now: **I really have no clue. I hope that I can finish another chapter by the end of this month, but I hate breaking promises.

**Future Chapters: **Dr. Tyner is featured more prominently in this chapter as is Liz's heightened immune system. Also, there is a woman who can see into people's futures.

**Beta: **My brother helped me out with this one when I had first wrote it. He blew me away with his words of wisdom, and I'm extremely grateful.

**Feedback: **I really appreciate the all the reviews I get. It really makes me want to continue writing.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the rights to Smallville or most of these characters. They belong to The WB, DC, and MillarGough. I'm just playin'.

* * *

Liz woke up early to be sure and get to the plant before Dominic. The problem wasn't that she was scared of the man, just annoyed by his blatant way of keeping her from getting the job done. But, she needn't have worried, because when she got there it was a little before 6 a.m. and Dominic was nowhere in sight.

Sighing with relief at having the office all to herself, Liz sat down in her chair immediately and swiveled the monitor to find that it was already on and running a screen saver. She wondered what made Dominic leave in such a rush as to forget to turn the computer off. She moved the mouse and the screensaver disappeared showing a business document stating that layoffs would begin immediately starting with the last fifty employees hired.

It took a few seconds for the shock to turn into anger. That Dominic would even start a ball like this rolling was unbelievable. Liz knew he hardly ever took action like this, unless he was ordered to do so. And, as of now, he was supposedly under her authority, especially for this kind of serious undertaking. Not that Dominic respected her opinion enough to ask it.

Liz was still contemplating what her reaction to this should be when she heard the door swing open and thud on the doorstop.

The look of surprise on Dominic's face was quickly masked with a forced smile. "Elizabeth! I'm glad you're here. I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

Dominic's sudden apologetic behavior made Liz decide not to bring up her discovery at that moment, and she managed in a calm demeanor, "That's all right. I understand that your relationship with my father is a touchy subject."

With a nervous laugh, Dominic stepped up to Liz's desk. "I wasn't offended at the reminder of asking for your father's permission."

Curiosity piqued Liz's interest. "Then enlighten me, Dominic. What upset you?"

Dominic placed his hands on the smooth surface of the desk and lowered his head. He was looming over Liz with a cocksure expression. His voice came out as condescending. "You don't trust my judgment, Liz. You never have."

Usually Dominic's theatrics amused Liz but now she just found them extremely annoying. "Honestly, Dom. Do you really think you're one to criticize me about trust?"

A confused expression came over Dominic's face. "Are you still angry about what happened in England?"

Liz turned her monitor so it was facing Dominic. She relished how he immediately straightened and nervously tugged at his cufflinks. "I noticed this statement on my computer that you failed to hide last night."

Dominic pointed an unsteady finger at the computer screen and raised his voice a fraction. "That is in the plant's best interest."

"I disagree. The last thing this town needs is more unemployed citizens. They will be put out on the street!"

"I understand you're worried about having another occurrence like Mr. Gaines but I can assure you that won't happen again."

"I'm not worried about angry employees, Dominic! I want the plant to be successful, but not to the detriment of this town."

An incredulous look came over Dominic's face and he opened his mouth in shock. "Since when do you care about this town? This town gave you your lack of hair, Liz. You despise being here! I thought you'd be delighted with my decision."

The fact that Dominic presumed anything about Liz's opinion made her blood boil, but she wasn't going to make this about herself. "You don't understand. It's not your decision to make. My father sent me here to decide what's best for the plant. Not you."

Dominic scoffed. "Is that really what you think? Why would I be here if he thought you were so competent?" Dominic resumed his pose from earlier, towering over Liz's desk. "I'm a hell of a lot more experienced than you could ever dream of being. I've been doing this since you were in play school."

Liz glared at Dominic's hands then lifted her eyes slowly up to meet his stern face. "I see. So, why don't you concentrate on doing what you are most experienced at: riding on my father's coattails."

Dominic sneered. "You will beg me for help when the time comes."

Raising her eyebrows a fraction, Liz spoke in a soft voice, "Don't hold your breath. If you plan something like this behind my back again you will regret it."

With a terse nod, Dominic stood up. "I think I'll go."

"Now that's the best idea I've heard," Liz said with mock sincerity.

Liz watched with satisfaction as Dominic spun around on his heels then slammed the door on his way out.

* * *

Liz stayed in her office late into the night after Dominic left. Even though she would never admit it, a solution to the plant's problems wasn't going to magically appear amongst the numbers no matter how long she stared at them.

With an exasperated sigh, Liz turned off her computer and got up to leave the plant.

After calling her driver, Liz walked outside and waited patiently. The plant never slept and she thought it took on an ethereal look in the night.

The wind picked up a few leaves as she walked along the concrete just beside hundreds of rows of cornstalks. It was chilly out and Liz tugged her coat a little tighter around her body as she looked up at the sky.

There were no clouds out and the moon shone brightly in the dark blue expanse. Liz took a deep breath of fresh air and looked around. She noticed a few stalks were bent back as if someone had cut them to walk through. She walked over for closer inspection and heard a hoarse whisper carried through the stalks in the wind.

"Help me."

Liz was startled by the voice and looked around the parking lot to see if anyone was there. She glanced again at the field and decided to walk through the clearing.

Just a few feet in Liz saw a young man tied to a scarecrow pole. She gasped and whispered, "Dear God."

She rushed over to the young man and tried tugging at the ropes holding him securely in place. With just one arm, she wasn't able to do much more than loosen them. "I need something to cut these. Who did this to you?"

"It doesn't matter."

In her haste to get the ropes free, Liz didn't acknowledge the bleak statement or even look up into the young man's face. "I have to get you down. Try and stay awake."

A car horn honked and Liz rushed to greet her driver. "Harold, isn't it? I need your help. Do you have a knife?"

The driver immediately got out of the car and tugged at his back pocket. "Yes, I have a pocket knife. Will that do?"

"Yes, follow me." Liz walked back into the field and this time looked closely at the young man's face. She was shocked to recognize him. She whispered more to herself than to anyone within hearing distance. "Clark Kent?"

Pain and fear was written all over Clark's ashen face. Liz took pity on him and tried to calm him with a soothing tone. "Don't worry. We're going to get you down." This wasn't about revelations at the moment. That could wait.

Liz watched as Harold quickly cut the ropes and gently helped Clark down from the pole. She reached out to help steady him on his feet. "Are you feeling all right? Maybe we should take you to a doctor."

Clark quickly and nervously spoke up, "No! I'm… fine now. Thanks for getting me down."

Liz couldn't help but reply, "Now we're even."

A small forced smile was the last thing Liz saw before he shrugged off the helping hands, grabbed his things then vanished through the cornstalks.

Liz barely caught the remark Harold muttered under his breath in irritation. "Stupid school tradition." She turned and stared in confusion. "Excuse me? What tradition?"

The older man took off his hat and pointed at the stake abruptly. "Every year the football team grabs an unsuspecting freshman and ties him up."

Realization dawned on Liz. "A form of hazing?"

Nodding, Harold added, "It's been going on for a long time in Smallville high."

As Liz digested her driver's comment she noticed something shimmering on the ground. She bent down to retrieve it and recognized it immediately as Lana's necklace. She wondered what it would be doing out in the middle of a cornfield.

* * *

Liz thought a little sarcastically that her father would be proud if he could see her now out mingling with farmers and shaking the hands of a few friendlier locals.

Of course, there was the occasional sneer headed her way, but she had reluctantly decided to bring along a bodyguard who was currently keeping an eye on her from a discreet distance. It made her feel a little safer, even though she hated being watched.

Liz walked down the dirt path between the many booths filled with vegetables and fruits of all kinds. She wanted to laugh at the drastic difference between her lightweight business suit and everyone else's jeans and t-shirts. What a way to stick out like a sore thumb, she thought.

Liz stopped abruptly when a whiff of perfume assailed her senses. The memories came flooding back and she tried to suppress the sudden rush of tears.

That brand of perfume was expensive and had been off the market for almost twelve years. But, that had never stopped Liz's father from getting her mother a bottle every year for her birthday.

Later in life, Liz had discovered that he had bought the last supply from the company just before they went out of business and hid it in their wine cellar. He had kept that secret until the day her mother died. It was a memory that made her realize her father wasn't always so cold. He certainly did love her mother.

Her sudden flashback flew away when Liz spotted a sign that read, "Kent Organic Produce." A petite redheaded woman in her early forties was manning the booth. Liz smiled and decided that she had found the perfect provider for her current vegetable crisis.

As she walked over the scent became more prominent. Liz immediately wanted to like this woman. The perfume had to be a good omen.

"Mrs. Kent? Hello, my name is Liz Luthor, and I'm interested in setting up an account with you to have fresh produce delivered to the castle weekly. If that's at all possible…"

The older woman took the hand being offered with a solemn expression. "Elizabeth Luthor, daughter of Lionel Luthor?"

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

The solemn expression on Mrs. Kent's face seemed to grow harder as she took her hand back. "I'm not sure we can deliver that far out."

Elizabeth frowned. "If it's the money your worried about I can more than compensate for the extra mileage. I'm willing to pay a premium price."

A tight smile formed on Mrs. Kent's lips as she answered in a cool tone, "I'll talk it over with my husband but for now the answer is no."

Liz's smile faltered for a moment, realizing for the millionth time that you can't buy good relations. Apparently, she had been wrong about this woman. "Well, if you change your mind here's my card. Thanks for your time, Mrs. Kent."

Feeling defeated, Liz decided to head back to the mansion but stopped when she spotted Clark unloading wooden crates filled with apples out from the back of a beat up blue pick-up truck.

Being subtle was never Liz's strong suit and she couldn't help but stop just a few feet away form Clark and state the obvious with a smile, "You're looking much better."

Clark almost dropped the crate he was unloading but quickly recovered and turned to look at Liz. "Oh, uh. Yeah, I guess."

Liz hadn't meant to startle him, but tried for a more gracious attitude and offered her hand. "We've never formally met. My name is Liz Luthor."

Clark stared at the hand being offered for a moment.

Hoping she hadn't given him a bad impression last time, Liz spoke kindly. "I promise I won't bite."

Realizing the humor in the statement Clark smiled a little and shook the hand. "I'm Clark Kent."

"It's nice to finally meet you under better circumstances."

Clark nodded his agreement then began lifting another crate out of the truck.

Wondering if she might be overstepping her boundaries for a moment, Liz decided to throw caution to the wind and asked, "Do you want to talk about what happened last night?"

Clark shrugged. "It was just a stupid school prank."

Shocked by the total lack of emotion in the statement, Liz was prompted to speak a bit louder than she had intended. "You were strung up on a stake like an animal. But, from what I've been told, this is standard practice in Smallville. Maybe it's because I've never lived in a small town, but I wouldn't be able to brush that off as easily as you seem to have."

Clark looked around nervously as if trying to see if anyone overheard then sighed a little exasperatedly. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Liz wanted to push more and get him to talk about who did this to him but decided it was best if she let it go. She knew what it was like to be questioned about something you wanted desperately to forget. Feeling the weight of the object in her pocket however, she decided to try one last tactic.

"I found this and was hoping you could tell me who it belonged to." Liz reached into her pocket and retrieved a small led jewelry box. The lid flipped open with a flick of her wrist and displayed a green necklace. Liz knew perfectly well whom it belonged to, but wanted to see if Clark would admit it himself and maybe tell her something. But, the reaction she got wasn't what she was hoping for.

Clark dropped the crate and stumbled backwards against the truck seemingly in agony.

Liz quickly shut the tiny lid of the box and put it back into her pocket. "Are you alright?"

"I just got dizzy all of the sudden." Clark bent down to retrieve the fallen apples.

"Let me get these. You just stand still for a minute until it subsides." As Liz reached down and started picking up the apples one handedly, she heard a familiar voice.

"Son? What's taking so long?"

Liz looked up to see Jonathan Kent coming towards them.

"What's the matter?"

Clark tried to stand up and stumbled slightly. "I got dizzy and dropped the apple crate."

Jonathan looked worriedly at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"

Clark smiled weakly. "I think so."

Jonathan saw Liz seemingly for the first time and bent to get the apples. "You don't have to get those. I will."

"I don't mind at all, Mr. Kent. Although, I might need help lifting the crate." She tried to pick up the last of the apples but Jonathan grabbed them and then the crate in one fell swoop. She quickly rose to her feet and caught Mr. Kent staring at her with an intense expression.

After the encounter with his wife, she hoped Jonathan would be friendlier. She offered her hand with a small smile.

Jonathan shook the hand enthusiastically. "It's been a very long time since I last saw you."

Liz smiled wider at the warmth she saw. "Yes, sir. It's good to see you again."

"How are you doing?"

Liz wanted to confess her fears since moving here, his paternal attitude was having that effect on her, but she stopped herself and answered casually, "Remarkably well considering. I have your son to thank for that though. He seems to be taking after you."

Jonathan nodded proudly and glanced over at Clark cautiously, a look was passed between them. "Well, I better get back. Clark, don't overdo it. And don't be a stranger, Elizabeth."

"Thanks, Mr. Kent."

Liz looked back at Clark and noticed him staring strangely at her. "What's wrong?"

"I just can't believe my dad was so nice to you."

"Thankfully there are a few people who see past my last name."

Clark nodded thoughtfully. "What did you mean by me taking after him?"

"When the meteors hit Smallville I got caught in the middle of it. He rescued me from the debris and brought me to my father. If it wasn't for him I might not have survived."

Liz watched Clark closely as he digested the information. She added with a smile; "Same as on the bridge when you took me to the hospital"

Clark looked up at Liz with a mixture of fright and disbelief that he tried to hide behind a forced smile. "Well, I better get back to work."

Liz watched as Clark hoisted another apple crate but stopped and stared straight ahead. She turned her head to see Lana talking to a blond young man wearing a Smallville High letter jacket. She glanced back up at Clark's face and recognized the angry expression. She wondered briefly if every emotion stood out so plainly on her face at his age.

Liz reached into her pocket and ran her fingers over the tiny led box then started walking away. She called over her shoulder; "See you around, Clark."

* * *

Football practice was about over and Whitney was tossing the pigskin back and forth with one of his teammates when the coach told everyone to hit the showers.

Whitney was about to do just that but stopped when someone called his name. He turned slowly and saw the woman who had addressed him. She was tall, coming up to his chin, slim looking build and was dressed in fancy clothes that looked more expensive than Whitney's entire wardrobe combined. He thought she had to be in her early twenties, and although she wasn't gorgeous, she had an unusual attractiveness that caught his eye. As she walked closer, he could see that she had a cast on her right arm. That's when he recognized her.

The woman smiled enthusiastically and offered her hand. "I'm Elizabeth Luthor."

Whitney took the hand being offered, and smiled back. Lana had told him that Liz Luthor had come into town but he never expected to actually meet her. Her father, Lionel Luthor, owned the Metropolis Sharks and the thought of getting her to put in a good word for him had crossed his mind when the subject had been brought up.

He smiled wider and spoke kindly. "Nice to meet you."

After shaking Whitney's hand, Liz's expression became more serious. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny necklace. "Does this belong to you?"

When Whitney looked at the necklace, being held carefully in the woman's hand, he broke out in a cold sweat. As it dangled back and forth slowly, shimmering in the sunlight, Whitney recognized it immediately as his girlfriend's. "Yes! I was borrowing it from ah… a friend. I thought I had lost it forever." He reached out to take it, checking for scratches or blemishes. He didn't want Liz knowing that it was Lana's. He tried to seem casual about it and asked in a disinterested tone, "Where did you find it?"

Liz squinted up at Whitney. "Out in the middle of a cornfield around the neck of a freshman. She walked up a little closer, looking him straight in the eye. "I wonder what your 'friend' would think about you lending out their jewelry."

Whitney's expression showed his emotions clearly, as he digested the new information. He hadn't expected anyone to find out about Clark, let alone this woman. His fear was quickly replaced by anger. "Look, it was all for fun and games. It's a school tradition."

Liz shrugged and took a step back. "So your school's principal would understand if I asked him about it?"

Whitney swallowed hard. "No. He wouldn't."

Liz nodded and looked out into the field. She paused for several heartbeats before admitting slowly, "You are a really good football player, Whitney. I watched you play for a few minutes."

Whitney was taken aback by the compliment. "Thanks."

Liz looked back into his face with a look of determination. "If you have any aspirations of becoming a professional football player I suggest you stop pulling dangerous stunts on innocent people."

Whitney's face showed shock and he spoke incredulously. "Are you threatening me?"

Liz smiled and shook her head. "I'm just warning you. I'd hate to see your career become little more than a distant dream."

Whitney clenched his jaw. He was so angry that this woman held his future literally in the palm of her hand. He was about to explode on her when the coach called out to him. Reluctantly he turned and walked away swiftly, trying to concentrate on what the coach was telling him.

* * *

Liz was looking over some numbers Gabe sent over to the mansion when she heard the doors to her office burst open. She looked up and saw Lana fuming over her desk.

Liz smiled and folded her hands neatly on top of her desk. "Lana, what a nice surprise."

"Did you threaten my boyfriend?"

Cocking her head to the side, Liz asked, "I'm sorry?"

Lana paced the floor with her hands moving animatedly to illustrate her point. "Today at football practice I saw you talking to Whitney and when I asked him about it he said you threatened him. Why would you do something like that?"

Liz sighed, having known that this was coming. "Well, I didn't threaten him. I just told him that he needed to concentrate more on his football plays and less on tormenting local farm boys."

Lana stopped pacing and stood with her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about?"

Liz thought she needed to be a bit more blunt. "I found Clark Kent tied to a scarecrow pole in the middle of a cornfield adjacent to my plant with your necklace tied around his neck. Apparently it's a school tradition."

"Whitney would never do something like that."

Liz was really getting tired of being accused of lying. "Well, he didn't deny it this afternoon."

"You asked him about it?"

"Yes, he was pretty forthcoming. But he didn't feel that it was that big of a deal until I asked him what his principal thought about it."

The anger on Lana's face dissipated, and was replaced by a flushed look of embarrassment. "I'm sorry I barged in unannounced."

Relieved to get this little outburst out of the way, Liz smiled. "That's ok. I needed a little drama this afternoon."

Lana smiled nervously. "Well, I'll get out of your way now."

Lana turned to leave but stopped short when Liz called out, "By the way, Lana…"

"Yes?"

"I was surprised to find out that you're dating someone like Whitney."

Lana crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "Who would you suggest I be dating instead?"

Liz smiled at the defiant expression on Lana's face. "Someone who saves lives rather than endangering them."

Lana bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head. "I get the feeling your referring to Clark Kent."

"I just think you could do better."

Lana nodded. "While I appreciate your concern, you don't know my boyfriend well enough to be making that kind of judgment call."

Liz nodded. "I hope I'm wrong about Whitney."

Seemingly more to herself than Liz, Lana frowned and said "I hope so too."

Liz spoke up before Lana reached the door. "Please feel free to stop by anytime, Lana."

Lana smiled nervously then turned and promptly left the way she came in.

* * *

_**...to be continued. **_


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: **It took me a long time to write this one so it is a lot longer. I wanted to make it even longer but decided to stop here and focus on another chapter. I really wonder why I still write this but I guess I've grown fond of this world and I'd like to see it finished someday.

**How soon is now: **March 2007.

**Future Chapters: **A man with a bomb and a gun. Clark learns just how "special" he really is.

**Beta: **None.

**Feedback: **I really appreciate all the reviews I get. It really makes me want to continue writing.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the rights to Smallville or most of these characters. They belong to The WB, DC, and MillarGough. I'm just playin'.

V8

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

V8

When the school bell rang for the last time, Lana slowly put her books in her backpack, watching Clark as he made his way out of the classroom. Then she got up and followed a few paces behind.

As Lana walked down the hall, she noticed students watching her. A few groups stopped talking as she passed to glance her way with a look of pity. She caught Whitney's eye by mistake and he looked away quickly. She thought she caught a flicker of guilt in his expression but he had moved away so fast she couldn't be sure.

After talking with Liz, Lana confronted Whitney about Clark. His immediate confession set Lana aback. She wasn't sure why his honesty scared her more than if he had lied and said it hadn't happened at all. She supposed that sometimes she felt it was easier to believe a lie than commit to the truth.

Their quiet argument ended with Lana giving him her necklace saying he should hold onto it as a souvenir of their relationship.

Thirteen months was a long time to be with someone, especially someone you didn't really love. Lana thought it was too bad that it took an act of jealous rage for her to realize that. She really needed a few minutes to wrap her head around that thought, but first she wanted to try repairing the damage her ex had caused.

Outside on the school grounds, Clark was sitting down on a concrete bench, reading a book. He was dressed in his usual flannel and jeans combo. His hair fluttered in the wind, a stray curl kept sneaking its way in front of his eyes causing him to puff air from his mouth to move it without much luck.

Lana smiled affectionately and made her way over to Clark. She took a deep breath and spoke softly, "Clark, may I have a word?"

Clark slowly lifted his face knitting his eyebrows in obvious confusion. "Sure." He shifted over to give Lana some room.

"Thanks." Lana took the seat and set her book bag down on the plush lawn. An awkward silence followed. She suddenly found herself speechless. The words she had formed in her mind caught in her throat.

They hadn't spoken more than three words to each other since that day in the cafeteria. Clark seemed to be avoiding her, but she hadn't made any effort to communicate either.

"Lana?"

Lana blinked a couple of times and realized she had been staring mutely at Clark for well over a minute. She laughed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not completely here at the moment."

Clark smiled back and Lana thought he looked amazing when he did. "That's ok. Neither am I most days."

Lana nodded and took another deep breath. "I wanted to apologize for what Whitney did to you the other night. It was uncalled for."

A tense expression came over Clark's face. "Are you actually apologizing for your boyfriend?"

Lana swallowed. "Ex boyfriend. And, not really. That's his responsibility, not mine. But I wanted you to know that I felt awful…"

Clark sighed, effectively cutting her off. "How did you find out? Was he gloating about it?"

Lana shook her head. "No! He wasn't going to tell me at all, but when Liz confronted him…"

"Liz Luthor?"

Lana frowned at the look of astonishment on Clark's face. "Yes. She threatened to tell the principal, and probably much more, but he said it wouldn't happen again."

Clark's anxiety seemed to dissolve. "I never told her that he was the one who did it."

"Well, someone did." Lana shook her head, lost in thought. She muttered more to herself than Clark in frustration, "Whitney was only apologetic when he was caught. And, he wasn't happy about it."

Clark nodded. "Well, thanks. I mean, you don't have to apologize, but thanks."

Lana thought she saw Clark blush slightly. She smiled. "Don't mention it." Lana reached for her backpack but stopped, remembering something else. "Um, I was wondering. Would you give me a lift to the retirement home tomorrow after school? Nell is using the truck for a delivery."

Clark's eyes widened for a moment. "Uh, sure. No problem."

Lana got up and touched Clark's shoulder briefly. "Thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

Clark watched Lana walk away in a daze. He wasn't sure which part of the conversation confused him more; the fact that Lana and Whitney broke up because of him or that Liz threatened Whitney. But, his thoughts dissipated when Chloe snapped her fingers in front of his face and Pete whooped in his ear.

"Did I just see what I think I saw?"

Clark half smiled at Pete's enthusiasm. "Depends on what you saw."

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "I just saw Lana Lang making time for our clumsy farm boy."

Pete's eyebrows wriggled. "It looked like you got asked out on a date."

Clark's eyes widened in shock. "Were you two spying on me? And, no. I'm just giving her a ride to the assisted living building tomorrow after school."

Chloe cocked her head to the side. "What? Whitney's truck out of order?"

Clark frowned. "I don't think they're seeing each other anymore."

Pete smiled wide. "You dog."

"Pete, it's a nursing home. I'm giving her a lift. That's it. Congratulate me for something more worthwhile next time, ok?"

Pete shrugged dramatically, his wide goofy grin still in place. "Whatever, man."

Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed Pete's shirt. "Come on, Pete. I need help with that article on Mrs. Neighbors, the new physics teacher. Besides, Clark's got a lot of work to do if he wants to get ready for that big date in 24 hours."

Clark glared at Chloe and mock laughed, "Ha, ha. Funny, Chloe."

Chloe winked at Clark before dragging Pete back inside the school, leaving him to sit alone again with his thoughts.

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

The next 24 hours flew by. Clark's science teacher stalled him after class making him take some advanced homework for extra credit. He also lectured him on having not gotten the correct answer earlier in class when he called on him.

Mr. Sanders could be quite intense at times. He had expectations for his students that Clark wasn't sure he could live up to, but he smiled and took the extra homework without any comment. Apologizing again for the wrong answer, he slipped out the door with a sigh of relief.

Lana was waiting outside on the same bench they had been sitting on together yesterday. Clark thought she looked amazing. She was wearing a rose pink turtleneck and light blue corduroy pants. Her hair was shining in the sunlight. He had to pause for a moment before walking over towards her, feeling a sense of apprehension. He sighed in relief when he saw she wasn't wearing her necklace.

"Lana, are you ready?"

She smiled. "Yep. Let's go."

The ride was spent in comfortable silence until Lana turned on the radio. Coldplay's hauntingly melodic single, 'Shiver' cut through the tension and they started to talk about school and their teachers' individual quirks. Lana agreed with Clark's opinion of Mr. Sanders.

They arrived ten minutes later at the building. Lana reached for her bag and smiled. "Thanks for the lift, Clark. Nell will pick me up in a couple of hours."

Clark nodded and got out of the car. Lana made her way to the door then turned around. She smiled up at Clark. "You don't have to follow me in."

Clark shrugged. "It's the best way inside."

A look of surprise adorned Lana's face. "You're volunteering here?"

Clark nodded. "I signed up last week."

Lana laughed. "And here I thought you were being nice giving me a lift."

Clark smiled. "Well, you never asked."

Lana shook her head and walked inside. Clark followed.

"So, who are you keeping company?"

"Cassandra. I'm going to read to her."

Lana smiled. "She's very interesting. They say she can see into the future."

Clark nodded. "That's what I heard. I thought that maybe she could help me figure out what Mrs. Thompson's next quiz will be. That way I could start studying early."

Lana laughed. "Good luck."

Clark smiled. "Thanks."

Clark watched Lana leave then walked through Cassandra's open doorway.

"Well, what on earth are you smiling for young man?"

Clark's eyes widened. He was under the impression that Cassandra was blind. "Uh…"

Cassandra laughed. "Don't look so surprised, Clark. I may be blind but I'm not deaf. I heard you talking with Miss Lang outside the hall."

Relieved, Clark smiled. "Oh, I see. Um, do you want to read something in particular today?"

Cassandra smiled. "Well, aren't you quite the gentleman. I've never been asked that before. Usually I have to endure the same horrid romance novel or latest teen magazine.

"Not that I don't like to keep up with pop culture, but interviews with Justin Timberlake and Kelly Clarkson don't help expand my mind so much as create a black hole."

Clark raised his eyebrows and smiled. Reading to Cassandra was going to be quite entertaining. "Let me give you a few choices. We have; Mark Twain, Shakespeare, A collection of Victorian ghost stories, or Webster's Dictionary."

"Goodness! Are you planning on me falling asleep? I'll take the ghost stories please."

Clark laughed. "Good choice."

After a few chapters, Clark became curious about the rumors. "How long have you been blind? If you don't mind me asking."

Cassandra took a sip of water and shifted her legs slightly. "The same day the meteors decided to fall. One hit a field behind my house. The flash burnt my optic nerves."

Clark frowned. "I'm sorry."

Cassandra smiled. "Thank you. But I'm not."

Clark tilted his head, quizzically. "Why is that?"

"Well, when I finally accepted my fate I realized I now had something better than ordinary sight. Instead, a vision much greater than before."

"You can see into the future?"

Cassandra laughed. "Something like that. But it's not always what I or others want to see." Cassandra reached for her glass of water again, but her hand slipped on the wet surface and the glass fell from her grip.

Clark immediately without thinking reached for the glass and grabbed it just in time. He glanced up in shock at what he'd just done. Cassandra's face remained expressionless. She smiled gently and cleared her throat. "Nice catch."

Clark swallowed. "Uh, yeah. I was lucky."

Cassandra smiled. "You could say that." Cassandra started to cough. "Would you hand me the water please?"

When Clark did their hands touched and then there was a flash of light.

Seconds, an eternity, classmates, Lana, Whitney, huddled on the floor. Luthorcorp. A man with a bullet wound lying in a pool of blood. Another man with a bomb taped to his chest and a gun in his hand. Detonation. Loud boom then silence. Smoke.

When Clark let go of Cassandra's hand, the vision dissipated like a fog and he stared into the sightless eyes of the woman. She didn't seem to be moving. Clark touched her shoulder and shook her slightly. "Ms. Carver?"

Cassandra started then frowned. "You saw that too, didn't you?"

Clark nodded. "Wh-what does it mean?"

She tilted her head to the side as if studying Clark. "Most of the time my visions are symbolic. Like dreams. But, this one seemed literal. There's a reason you saw this Clark. You need to take it seriously. Don't ignore it. You need to save those people."

Clark nodded, eyes wide. The vision was so real, as if it was happening right then. He set down the book and walked out of the room without another word to Ms. Carver.

As he walked out of the room, he bumped into Lana. She frowned up at him. "Are you leaving?"

Clark tried to swallow but his mouth had gone dry. "Yeah, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Lana nodded. "See you tomorrow, Clark."

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

When Clark got home, he saw his dad loading the truck for a produce delivery. He knew he could really use some time alone and thought a road trip sounded pretty good. Even if it wasn't very long. Grabbing a crate of tomatoes, Clark asked, "Where does this go, dad?"

Jonathan smirked. "Luthor castle."

Clark smiled. "Perfect. I'm going."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "Really? I thought you signed up for helping people at the nursing home to get out of produce deliveries."

Clark mock gasped. "I would never get out of my farmer duties."

Jonathan snorted. "Yeah, whatever. Just don't speed." Jonathan winked and threw the keys.

Clark laughed, "Wouldn't dream of it," and caught the keys.

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

The small, private road leading to the Luthor castle was picturesque as Clark drove his truck just under 40mph.

Security asked to see some id when he arrived promptly five minutes early. He showed them his license before they opened the gate letting him drive his truck to the back entrance of the kitchen.

When he walked into the brightly lit room, he was surprised to see Liz there drinking a blue bottle of water lost in thought. Her eyes were closed as she pressed the bottle against her forehead. He thought she looked nervous and uncomfortable. She obviously didn't know he was there.

Clark cleared his throat softly, trying to gain Liz's attention. If she was surprised, she did a good job of not showing it. She straightened her back and set the bottle down slowly. Turning her head to look at Clark, she smiled warmly. Her attitude changed dramatically now that she knew she had an audience. It made Clark feel a twinge of guilt at having interrupted her. "Well, you made it."

Clark smiled back and placed the box of vegetables he was carrying down on the wooden worktable in the middle of the kitchen.

Grabbing a fresh tomato, Liz pretended to inspect the quality with a smirk. "How was the trip? Was it long?"

Clark laughed. "It took forever."

Liz nodded, still smiling, and set the ripe fruit down. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Please don't let me distract you from your work. I've no doubt kept you from your other customers."

Clark shook his head. "Actually, you're my last stop."

"Then let me write you a check and you can get back and relax after your long journey."

Liz took the invoice from Clark.

Clark watched as she started to write out the light blue check. "Uh, I heard about what you said to Whitney. I don't know how you found out, but you didn't have to do that."

Liz looked up. "No, I didn't. But, someone needed to. Bullies won't learn their lesson unless they receive a dose of their own medicine. I know from experience."

Clark cocked his head to the side. "Really? You don't seem like the type to allow someone to back you into a corner."

Liz smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. But, I was bullied. Not so long ago, actually. However, that's in the past. And I got my revenge."

Clark smiled. He would like to hear that story sometime. "Well, thanks."

"You're welcome." Liz signed her signature and handed the check to Clark.

Clark glanced at the check nonchalantly as he was prone to do after having made hundreds of deliveries. Sometimes people shorted you when you least suspected it. Not that he thought Liz would. He did a double take when he saw the number she wrote down and swallowed before saying nervously, "I-I think you made a mistake."

Liz took the check and glanced at it before handing it back to Clark. "No. I didn't."

"Uh, it's much more than the invoice states. I think you misplaced a decimal."

A serious expression came over Liz's face. "The amount is correct, Clark."

"But…"

"Your prices are remarkably low considering the quality. And, my castle is out of your way. I simply wanted to compensate for any extra trouble I might be causing."

Clark frowned down at the check. "I don't know what to say."

Liz smiled. "That's the beauty of it. You don't have to say a word." She paused. "If it makes you feel any better, I was paying nearly that much for vegetables that weren't even half the quality to be shipped from Metropolis. I think it's only fair."

Clark smiled back. "Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me, Clark. I hope you consider me a friend."

Clark nodded. "Of course."

Liz picked up her bottle of water and took a sip before asking. "You seemed a little tense when you came in. Does that have anything to do with your mother not wanting to sell to me?"

Clark furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Well when I first met her she didn't seem to like me very much. And she told me that it wouldn't be possible to deliver out this far."

Clark sighed. "She doesn't like your father. But I don't see why she should hold that against you."

"Well, I was surprised but pleased when your father called asking for my first order. I just hope this hasn't caused any problems."

Clark smiled. "Not yet."

Liz smiled back. "Good. Well, don't lose that check on your way back."

Clark laughed. "Definitely not."

"So, what's your trouble?"

Clark sighed. "There's this elderly lady at the nursing home that can see into people's futures. She told me about something and it's weighing heavily on my mind."

"What did she say?"

Clark paused for a minute. He didn't know if he should share the vision with Liz and risk her judgment. "She told me that your plant would be hijacked by a man with a bomb and a gun."

Liz's eyebrows rose. "Why would she tell you about something related to me?"

Clark shrugged. "We have a field trip at your plant next week. I think she wanted to warn me not to go." Clark shook his head. "Do you believe it?"

Liz looked down at her drink. "It's not completely out of the question."

Clark cocked his head. "How?"

Liz shook her head. "I might have a disgruntled employee seeking vengeance. What's her name?"

"Cassandra Carver."

Liz nodded. "Interesting. Smallville has a psychic. I may have to meet her."

Clark half smiled.

Liz shrugged. "With your interest in her, I might as well try her out. But, I am quite a skeptic when it comes to things like these. My ex-boyfriend was very open-minded but I never was. Maybe I should be though. Given this town. I imagine there are all sorts of possibilities."

Clark shrugged. "I guess so."

Liz waved and left the kitchen.

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

When Clark got back to his house, he was beaming. His mother kissed him on the cheek and set a plate of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies down for him to consume. He took one and started wolfing it down. He set the check down on the table to reach for a glass of milk. A gasp came from his mother and he almost choked. "What's wrong?"

Martha took the check on the table and shook it. "What is this?"

"It's Liz's check for the delivery I just sent."

Martha shook her head. "She made a mistake."

Clark smiled. "I thought so too. But she said she wanted to pay extra because of the trouble and the quality is better."

Exasperated, Martha spoke in a hushed tone, "It's too much."

"It's her money, mom, and her decision. It's not like she can't afford it."

Martha frowned and her eyes started to water. She turned when she heard the kitchen door open. Jonathan walked into the room and started washing his hands. "Jonathan, look at this check."

He looked at it and his eyes widened. "You're going to have to take that back, son."

Clark shook his head. "We deserve this. Maybe we'll eventually be able to afford a new tractor."

Jonathan shook his head. "No, son. We aren't charity. We're doing just fine."

"Liz said she liked helping her friends out. It's just her way of being friendly."

"She doesn't have to buy friendship, Clark. You should know better. Either you take the check back or I will."

"Well, I guess you will be. Because I'm not."

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

Liz opened up the files of expenses her father had accumulated over the years. Plant expenses, salary, charities… she stopped when she looked at the charity funds. Apparently, her father was sending out $20,000 a month to the Smallville Nursing Home. In addition, the recipient of the checks was none other that Cassandra Carver. Liz did a double take. Her father never donated to a charity without people knowing about it. Liz knew this was an excessive amount to spend even out of the goodness of his heart. He was either bribing someone or… Then Liz remembered what Clark said. Cassandra was a psychic. Lionel was even more of a skeptic than she was but apparently, if it had Clark riled up maybe she was worth a closer look. But first, she would call Dominic.

He picked up on the third ring. "What is it Liz?"

Liz had to chuckle at the obvious displeasure in his tone. "Why is my father giving twenty grand to some elderly woman in a nursing home?"

Dominic was quiet for a few seconds then Liz heard papers rustling. "Cassandra Carver?"

"Yes."

"Well, maybe you should ask your father about that. I'm not sure."

Liz knew Dominic was lying through his teeth. He had information but didn't want to divulge. "No, I think I'll pay her a visit instead."

Dominic cleared his throat. "Maybe…"

Liz hung up on him before he could try to dissuade her.

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

When Liz arrived at the nursing home, Miss Carver had been expecting her. She claimed it was her intuition but Liz thought maybe it was Dominic calling to warn her as a way of having some sort of upper hand on this situation which no doubt would put him in a good position with her father. It was all like a really long tedious game of chess.

They were outside in a garden with various plants and flowers, in every shade of the rainbow. Liz wondered if the donations her father was giving had something to do with the rarity of some of them. Cassandra was seated at a small table and asked Liz to join her. She remained standing.

"I'd like to cut to the chase if you don't mind. I know my father has been donating $20,000 to this nursing home, specifically you. If you don't mind me asking… why would he be so munificent?"

Cassandra laughed softly and stood up a little straighter in her chair. "Why are you surprised?"

Liz smiled. "Because my father has an ulterior motive for everything he does. Whether it is in business or charitable contributions. It's all the same to him."

Cassandra nodded. "So, how do you feel about this? Why do you think he is doing it?"

Liz cocked her head to the side for a minute studying Cassandra's frail yet peaceful disposition. Smiling, she sat down at the table. "I don't know."

"Your father has his reasons for donating here. I'm not exactly sure it is completely for charities sake. He may have a fascination with people exposed to meteors. I'm one of them. He visits me frequently. But, I've never questioned his kindness, and neither should you."

Liz watched her face as she talked. Noticing the slight shaking of her head as she talked. She felt sorry for her but knew the old woman was lying. Lionel was paying her well to keep quiet. "Maybe you're right. But, why did you tell Clark that my plant was in danger?"

Cassandra tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry… I have many visions. Could you be more specific?"

Liz licked her lips and shifted forward in her seat. She was growing impatient with this woman. "Something about a man with a bomb."

Cassandra's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh, yes. I think you should definitely double up on security, Miss Luthor."

Liz smirked at the obvious dismissal. She wasn't even going to divulge information on this subject. Liz felt a twinge of anger coil in her gut. She swallowed back her emotions and whispered, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." She rose and smoothed out her lavender slacks with her one good hand. "Well, I think I'll leave you now. Have a wonderful afternoon."

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

Dr. Tyner's business card was currently Liz's main form of distraction. It was placed next to Liz's coffee mug and held his personal cell number. He had given it to her before she left the hospital and said to use it in case of an emergency.

The pain in Liz's arm was not going away and she had been trying to deal with it as best she could, but something seemed to be wrong. She was sweating profusely and yet she felt as cold as ice. That couldn't be normal.

Two days ago, the prescription pain medication had run out, and Liz thought she would be able to dull it with some generic pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drug, but that didn't work.

A drop of sweat threatened to spill from the tip of her nose as she tried to concentrate on the computer screen. She swiped at it before it could fall on top of her keyboard then leaned back against her chair, shaking as another chill wracked her body.

She looked up at the ceiling and counted to ten before picking up the phone.

Dr. Tyner picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

Liz smiled slightly at the casualness in the doctor's voice but the smile quickly turned into a grimace as a sharp stabbing pain shot up from her elbow almost causing her to drop the phone. But, she managed to remain calm and answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "Dr. Tyner? This is Liz Luthor. I'm sorry if I'm catching you at a bad time…"

Papers were rustling in the background, and Liz thought she heard soft music playing. "No! Not at all. In fact, I was just sitting down to lunch. Is everything all right?"

Liz debating telling him that everything was fine and hanging up, but a sharp twinge coming from her arm made her change her mind. "Not exactly. My arm isn't quite as comfortable as I would like. It's giving me fits currently…" Understatement of the century, she thought. "…and I've run out of pain medication."

"You weren't supposed to run out for another month."

Liz swallowed nervously at the accusatory tone. Surely he didn't think she had been abusing them. However, if he knew that she had been popping Valium before the accident, he would have every right to assume that she had been. She took a deep breath before continuing. "The recommended dosage wasn't working. It took a few more than the bottle said."

The doctor's worry easily carried through the phone line. "That's not normal… Can you drive to the hospital? If not I can send someone or I…"

Liz mentally kicked herself for not thinking of going there in the first place instead of bothering him on his lunch break. "I have a driver. I should have done that first…"

"No, I'm glad you called. I'll meet you in the ER in a few minutes. I might have to take some x-rays, but I can give you something to ease the pain while you wait."

Relief coursed through Liz's body. "Thank you, Dr. Tyner."

"Please call me William, and you're welcome."

V8V8V8V8V8V8V8V8

"It looks like your arm is healing at a much faster rate than normal."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes and no. The pins in your arm are being pushed out and that's what's causing the pain. We need to take them out and reset your arm or else you will continue to suffer and possibly do irreparable damage to your arm."

Liz nodded. It sounded a lot worse than she thought it should be. "Well, how soon do you need to do this?"

"As soon as possible. Now preferably."

Liz breathed out a humorless laugh. "I don't have any choice?"

William smiled sympathetically. "There's something else."

"What else could there possibly be?"

"I need to run some more tests but… it seems as though you have an elevated white blood cell count. That's not abnormal for this town. However, you've just recently moved here. Your arm… no one has ever recovered this quickly. I would like to have access to your medical history. If you didn't mind."

"I would need to get in touch with my father. He has all the paperwork."

"That's fine. I think you should get someone to take over for you at work for a few weeks. Even with your advanced healing, you may need some advanced rehabilitation before you can regain full use of your arm."

Liz felt as if she was backed into a wall. Between being labeled a medical phenomenon and having a plant on the verge of collapsing, she needed help. She couldn't call Dominic and her father was out of the question. She needed to come up with a new plan in a matter of minutes. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes with the back of her left hand.

William seemed to notice her distress and whispered with sincerity, "I'm sorry. It's a lot to take in. Are you going to be ok?"

Liz looked up and gave the doctor a small smile. "I'm fine, or I will be. I just need to make a few phone calls."

"Take your time." William walked out of the room.

Liz waited until the door was closed before calling the plant office on her cell phone. She hoped she hadn't misjudged Gabe. He seemed trustworthy enough but she had been wrong before. He picked up on the third ring.

"Luthorcorp."

Liz gripped the cell phone a little tighter. "Mr. Sullivan, it's Miss Luthor. I have an emergency I need to take care of. Can you man the plant while I'm gone?"

Liz counted the tiles on the ceiling while she waited for a response. She could tell Gabe was nervous. Probably more than she was.

"Of course, Miss Luthor. May I ask how long you'll be away?"

Liz bit her lower lip. "I really don't know. Probably a week… three at the most. I'll call you as soon as I can with more information. But, I have one more request."

"Yes?"

"My father and Mr. Senatori are to believe I'm still there."

"All right. If they call I'll tell them you're not to be disturbed."

Liz smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem. Good luck."

Liz sighed and hung up.


End file.
